Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    • Home
    • Sedona News
    • Business Profiles
    • Opinion
    • Mind & Body
    • Arts
    • Elections
    • Contact
    • Cart
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Home » Letter to The Editor: Yes on Sedona Home Rule
    Election Coverage

    Letter to The Editor: Yes on Sedona Home Rule

    July 24, 201819 Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Place ads on Sedona.biz

    logo_lettereditorBy Linda Goldenstein
    (July 24, 2018)

    Sedona has been my family’s home since the 1940’s and I love it like no other place in the world. I am proud to be a supporter of the arts and an advocate for philanthropy.  These two passions are at the top of my list for voting YES for Sedona Home Rule.

    By continuing to allow our city to manage and set its budget, we will continue to see our non-profits succeed with supportive funding from the city. Just some of the nonprofits that will continue to benefit are; Sedona Recycles, Verde Valley Caregivers, Sedona Humane Society and more. Without these services in our community, what do we have? A piece of a community without the passionate pursuit to help others leaves me with a sense of loss in our future in Sedona. I believe that’s neither who we are nor what we want. We are a passionate community of givers and supporters and by passing Sedona Home Rule we can continue these efforts.

    This is truthful and logical information.

    Sedona has always been about Home Rule – a community where we care for each other and treasure making decisions together in true Western fashion. We are facing new challenges now, but giving control of our budget to far-away Phoenix – where the law requires it be reduced by more than half – would trigger a self-destruction I never imagined we could impose on ourselves.

    I have faith we see the value in keeping control of Sedona’s future here among us. Our community is changing, the scope of Arizona is changing, but that doesn’t mean we have to halt progress. As a business owner and resident, I’ve faced traffic and had employees feel the pressure of juggling their schedules to make it to work on time at those peak times of the year. By voting YES on Home Rule, I know traffic improvements and solutions are around the corner and we will all benefit from them. It’s progress in a way that keeps Sedona moving and provides our city with local control. The plans for Sedona in Motion are extensive, impressive, and long overdue. But, if Sedona Home Rule doesn’t pass, we will not see the progress in transportation. It will be chaos.

    I believe we won’t force our own community to slash services to the needy, shutter parks, halt progress with transportation, or diminish the ranks of our police officers. I believe in our community and the ability to work together, even with differing opinions and focus on the future, the future of Sedona.

    Please join me and vote YES on Home Rule.   

    Place ads on Sedona.biz

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Sedona.biz Staff

    Related Posts

    Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event

    August 3, 2022

    August Primary Election 2022 Early Ballot Update

    August 1, 2022

    Eeny Meeny Miny Moe!

    July 28, 2022

    19 Comments

    1. Kayla on July 24, 2018 1:00 pm

      Thank you Linda! How heartbreaking it would be to see budgets cut for our community buildings and services like the Humane Society, pool, and library.
      I’ll be voting yes on Home Rule with you.

    2. Steve Segner on July 24, 2018 2:52 pm

      This whole real issue is very simple how is Sedona better off with half its budget taken away and the money put in the bank we’re at camp respect I just left the office today at the city finance director the city has almost 1 years worth of revenue in the bank the average for most cities is 15 to 20% this is just crazy people want to kill the chamber and they’re willing to kill the city to do it

    3. Michael Schroeder on July 25, 2018 1:33 pm

      There is no loss of money to the non profits, There is no such thing as a $24.3 million catastrophe unless the voters ignore the options.

      I think the people in this town are smarter than to allow scare tactics and manipulation to decide their and the city’s future. Trusting the incumbents got us into this mess.

      https://vimeo.com/281679213

    4. Tommy Acosta on July 26, 2018 5:06 am

      The foundation of Liberty is our ability to rule ourselves. And it begins at home.

    5. Cynthia Paster on July 26, 2018 6:38 am

      This argument reminds me of the streetlight debacle years ago. We, as a city, were on the cusp of taking ownership over 89 a and getting a very substantial package from ADOT to do so. Then, in stepped the people who masquerade as ‘against’ govenernment control, who, it turns out, are just unwilling to take responsibility for our own destiny.
      Now, we have traffic problems we are helpless to resolve without ADOT dictating terms. In the future, we would have to conform to the states idea of what our own budget would be. A No vote is another surrender to helplessness and fear.
      Please don’t listen to the nattering nabobs of negativity. Vote Yes on Home Rule!

      • Mike Schroeder on July 26, 2018 10:45 pm

        Cynthia, the state does not set Permanent Base Adjustment, the people or the council does, and the voters OK that via the ballot box. Home Rule is unchecked spending, not state control. The state of Arizona has created a wonderful system that puts us in control of our own budgets and also allows the citizens to set controls on the leaders.

        Wouldn’t it be nice to do that on a national level – called a Balanced Budget Amendment in the US Constitution.

        I love your comment on the 89A issue. We had the deal done, signed and almost delivered until short sighted folks decided they did not want the responsibility. Owning that 108′ corridor with 89A in it would have been wonderful thing.

        Please visit us for a Home Rule town hall, we would love to talk to you.

        http://www.arizonaliberty.us/Home_Rule_Town_Hall.html

        Mike

        • Steve segner on July 30, 2018 1:06 pm

          Mike how are you can explain the paid people you hired to get signatures, you made the statement they were all volunteers well in eight over til it’s over I can hardly wait till Wednesday’s newspaper

          • Mike Schroeder on August 6, 2018 12:10 am

            Steve, we paid NOBODY to collect signatures as our PAC report will show.

            Yes Steve – we DO file our PAC reports on time.

            Sorry to disappoint.Our biggest expense is going to be suing the City, the Council and key staff, plus the counties which we did last Friday at the Superior Court in Prescott.

            The little Pickels orchestrated ploy is backfiring. Probably a tough conversation you are going to have with all your Hotel donors to your PAC. That stunt just infuriated over 600+ voters. Good idea? Keep up your brilliance.

            Here is a reminder of who they are in case you forgot who pays your bills:

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk_sAw_9shA&t=37s

            Hotels First!

            http://www.arizonaliberty.us

    6. Tyler Barrett on July 30, 2018 12:02 pm

      Linda,

      You as well as all those who support “yes” on home rule mention all the cuts that would occur if “no” passes, but you never mention the $2.5 million given to the Chamber. Are you suggesting that if the no vote wins the City and Council will continue to fund this waste of money at the expense of the arts and meals on wheels? If you think the Council will do that, I hope you will join us voting out the incumbents.

    7. VOTE NO on July 30, 2018 2:07 pm

      Why The Sons of Liberty Fought the Revolutionary War?

      Lets fast forward to the Civil War. A nation split between what was right and wrong for all people.

      Then:

      North and South.
      The South is not rising again. They are still distancing themselves from their past. Austin, Big Tobacco. They are changing/discussing their names more than 150 years later.

      Now:

      Resident and Business.

      The Chamber of Commerce has no right to rule over the land. They do not win.
      The City gov’t is in place to rule for the people, not just people in business. They need to be replaced with new. They are all beholden to someone you don’t know.

      VOTE NO to Home Rule and regain our Sedona so we may fix years of problems created by the recent past and present.

      • Gail Moore on August 3, 2018 12:34 pm

        VOTE NO

        What? Your post here makes no sense.

    8. Dale on July 30, 2018 6:18 pm

      Linda,

      We have been friends for years and I value that friendship. From your comments, I suspect you may not be familiar with an alternative to this issue. There is more than just a YES or NO vote on our City’s bugetary problem.

      Voting No on Home Rule does not mean that the City would suddenly be restricted to a $24 million budget. We, as citizens of Sedona, have the ability to raise that base from $24 million to $36 million which was last year’s actual spending. If the Sedona voters do that, none of the funds to the non-profits would be cut.

      We can do that by voting NO on Home Rule on August 28th then vote YES on the Permenent Base Adjustment in the November mid-term election. From that time on, the Pernenent Base of $24 million will disappear forever and our base would then be $36 million.

      Right now, the City Council and Mayor are projecting the next budget to be $47 million from last year’s $36 million. Don’t you think it’s time to stop this runaway spending?

    9. Steve segner on July 31, 2018 7:42 am

      That is not correct we do not have a budgetary problem, our budget hasn’t moved in almost 13 years our budgetary problem is we’re not spending enough. We have the income we have the projects we have the people we don’t need somebody who lives in the village of Oak Creek telling us how much we should spend. There will be no vote in November on PBA, The whole petition for PBA is a scam probably illegal let’s see what paper has to say tomorrow .if the city Council and the people think we need a permanent base adj, then we should discuss it then vote on it in next year, and the amount should be well above what we spend. The way the PBA is being presented sedona would not be able to use new government state funding grants for projects as it would put us over the limit that doesn’t make any sense. So what if the city budget went from 36 to see 56 million, if the money came from the state /federal government or city savings and the money is spent on city projects, Sedona has been under spending for years, Sedona has adequate savings, now‘s the time to fix our roads, now is the time to vote yes on homr rule, don’t let Arizona liberty/Sedona tea party dictate the city budget we have a city Council for that

      • Mike Schroeder on August 6, 2018 12:15 am

        Steve, why should we listen to you, you live in the canyon, you are not a Sedona resident.

        Hasn’t been a Sedona Tea Party since 2014. Facts aren’t you big suit are they.

        We don’t have a budget problem, we have a spending problem. Time for you to promote your own business, the city will keep all the bed tax to clean up after the tourists AND make their visit more enjoyable.

        The city is NOT your private tax collector.

        http://www.arizonaliberty.us

        Every Tuesday – come for Home Rule town hall.

    10. debra l rinaldo on August 4, 2018 12:11 am

      I am hoping that voting no on Home Rule, will derail or at least, postpone the ridiculous SIM, Sedona in Motion, plan. If you look at the proposals, the most divisive is at the bottom of the list, but still being considered, to put in “connector” roads through quiet, West Sedona neighborhoods, many established in the 50’s, to lesson the “impact” on 89 A. These roads cut right through property, wild ravines, wildlife paths, trails & forest. Two are proposed in my neighborhood, one next to my bedroom window, across a large, wild area that isn’t flat, nor conducive to any kind of road, let alone one reaching from Table Top to a rocky road across the ravine. The second is only a few houses away & has about 4 homes between them. That will destroy this neighborhood. I wasn’t informed, nor were any of my neighbors. Not only does this destroy long term residents peace, health & rights to a lifestyle they bought into long ago, it will not relieve the traffic on 89 A, when 2 more hotels/developments are being approved, that exit & enter from 89 A. Also, the heaviest traffic is down at the roundabouts, or off from Airport Road & we are far from that area. Why should people be driven out of town, to put attempt to put a bandage on a problem the city created for decades? What rights do homeowners have to say no? None. In fact, connector roads create more exits to 89 A. How will increasing more entries onto the road, lessen traffic? Have people looked at the maps of connector roads? Many who are on the chopping block, had no idea they were the sacrificial lambs, & I wonder if more people, voting yes, still don’t know if they are part of this plan.

      Many people out here bought big lots in a rural area, far away from uptown to avoid the traffic, never dreaming decades later, we’d be sold out by the city that many helped build & maintain. How can a handful of residents dent the insane traffic? What if tourists cut through using these smaller roads? It won’t be safe without street lights, hydrants & wild animals running through. We won’t be able to sell our homes if we wanted to get out of this nightmare & many of these people work & support the town on a daily basis & would have to uproot families. I hope that by voting no, this sloppy plan will be reevaluated for its flaws & lack of transparency. Would anyone voting Yes want to volunteer their yards for a road? None of the other proposals have such a personal, destructive impact on individuals who have called Sedona home for so long. It is unfair & an unlimited budget will just give the city & the people running on “traffic” reform, more power to ruin peoples’ lives, incomes & put the tourists before the residents.

    11. Jean J on August 4, 2018 11:06 am

      Steve Segner says “our budget hasn’t moved in almost 13 years.” He doesn’t live in Sedona so it’s not surprising he’s speciously making such a claim and adding that “we are not spending enough.”

      The City’s Actual Expenditures/Expenses have risen by 41% during the last ten years. That is, from $28 million in FY 2008 to $39.6 million in FY 2018.

      The City had a budgeted negative cash flow of $9,989,641 last fiscal year (2018). Budgeted expenditures were $47,752,118 with Estimated Revenues of only $37,762,477.

      The Sedona in Motion plan takes a short-run outlook and ignores the fact that the Sedona Community Development Dept. is working on three new hotel projects whose humongous extra traffic was not included in Transportation Master Plan calculations. I refer to the Marriott Residence Inn (88 units), the Village at Saddlerock Crossing (Oxford Hotel – 126 units + ?), and the Ambiente (40 units).

      There’s no maintenance of strong reserves to ensure long-term financial stability. And there are unaddressed public safety issues.

      By the way, according to the City Engineer, drive-throughs that do not stop in Sedona now account for 50% of the traffic.

      About discussing a PBA: Councilor John Currivan advocated for the City to take the PBA route, but the other Council members didn’t want to go along.

      I am voting NO on Home Rule.

    12. steve Segner on August 4, 2018 2:43 pm

      Jean j said By the way, according to the City Engineer, drive-troughs that do not stop in Sedona now account for 50% of the traffic.

      Yes, and it will be much more this is a state hwy bringing traffic from Flagstaff…and to and from the Grand canyon so lets get Flagstaff to stop there visitors from going back to Phoenix on 89a.!

      The chamber has not advertised in Phoenix in two years and Phoenix in one of the fastest growing areas in America and you know they will find Sedona on weekends get ready vote yes on Sedona In Motion Home rule.

      About discussing a PBA: Councilor John Currivan advocated for the City to take the PBA route, but the other Council members didn’t’t want to go along. And thank God they did the city need to study PBA, and they will and the number will be much higher the the Arizona Liberty number you can count on that.

      You said There’s no maintenance of strong reserves to ensure long-term financial stability. Sorry wrong send has higher reserves the 75% of all the city’s in Arizona…. If you like I will meet with you and Karen at the city and we can go over the numbers …… Sedona won two awards on finance last year….. Jean please move to sun city everyone is just like you … you will love it and you can go after there HOA…..

    13. Mike Schroeder on August 6, 2018 12:19 am

      Steve, why do you want a higher number on PBA than the city has been spending average for the last 5 years. What is up your sleeve?

      Sedona carries the 3rd highest debt in N Arizona behind Cottonwood and Prescott Valley. Why?

    14. Alarmed on August 6, 2018 10:38 am

      No end of travelers to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon have driven through Sedona instead of taking the I-17. Chalk this up to the 50% drive-through rate from Chamber of Commerce billboards advertising Sedona and “Visit Sedona” images on Sky Harbor Airport flat screen TVs.

    Paid Political Ad Paid For by Samaire for Mayor
    Paid Political Ad for Samaire Armstrong
    Paid Political Announcement by Samaire For Mayor

     THE MOMENT IS UPON US

    Dear Sedona,

    The moment is upon us. The time for a united effort to shift the focus back to our community is now.

    The ability to thrive in our community, our environment, our workforce, and the tourist industry, is entirely possible because we have all the resources needed for success.

    Still, we need a council that isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions, that makes decisions based on data and facts, and through discussion, rather than moving and voting in group unison as they so regularly do.

    This is my home. I have been a part of the Sedona community for 28 years. I witnessed the road debacle, the lack of planning, the city circumventing the local businesses ability to thrive, while making choices to expand the local government and be in direct competition with private industry.

    I am a unique candidate because unlike the incumbents, I don’t believe the government should expand in size, nor in operations, nor would I attempt to micromanage every aspect of our community.

    City government should stay in its lane and allow the competitive market of local private industry to prosper. And it should defend our community from corporate takeover and infiltration of our town.

    I do not agree that we should sign onto International Building Codes and regulations by signing Sedona up to the ICC. It is imperative that we remain a sweet, rural community.

    Where are the arts? Where is this organic thriving element that we allege to be animated by. Where is our culture? Where is our community?

    The discord between the decision making process and the desires of the community have never been more clear. It has been nearly a decade in the making.

    It is time for a new era of energy to take charge. An energy that is reflective in the ability to succeed rather than be trapped in out of date consciousness.

    It has been a great honor meeting with each of you. I hear your concerns over the insane and out of control spending and I echo them. A budget of $105,000,000 in a town of 9700 residents is completely unacceptable. A parking structure (that looks like a shoe box) originally slated to cost 11 million, now projected to cost 18 million, is incomprehensible. Especially, considering there is no intention of charging for parking.

    For those who are concerned that I lack the political experience within our established system- that is precisely what Sedona needs… Not another politician, but instead a person who understands people, who listens to the voices within the community, and who will act in service on their behalf with accountability, for the highest good of Sedona. What I am not, will prove to be an asset as I navigate the entrenched bureaucracy with a fresh perspective. Business as usual, is over.

    Creative solutions require new energy.

    Every decision that is made by our local government, must contemplate Sedona first.

    • Does this decision benefit the residents?
    • Does this decision benefit the local businesses?
    • Does this decision actually help the environment?
    • Will this decision sustain benefit in the future, or will it bring more problems?

    What we have now is a city government that expands to 165 employees for 9700 residents. Palm Desert has 53,000 residents and 119 city employees. Majority of our city department heads are not even in town. I find this problematic.

    Efforts towards championing in and courting new solutions for our medical needs are imperative. We are losing our doctors. We must encourage competition with other facilities rather than be held hostage by NAH, who clearly have their own set of dysfunctions.

    We must remember that so many move to Sedona for its beauty, hiking, and small town charm. Bigger, faster, and more concrete does not, in broad strokes, fit the ethos of Sedona.

    The old world must remain strong here in balance, as that is what visitors want to experience. Too many have noted that Sedona has lost its edge and charm.

    As Mayor I will preserve the rural charm of our community, and push back against the urbanization that is planned for Sedona.

    As mayor I will make it a priority to create opportunities to support our youth.  After school healthy, enriching programs should be created for our kids, and available to the Sedona workforce regardless of residency and regardless of school they belong to.

    As Mayor, I will create an agenda to deliberately embody the consciousness of our collective needs here, allowing private industry to meet the needs of our community rather than bigger government.

    I hope to have your vote on Aug 2nd. I am excited and have the energy to take on this leadership role with new eyes, community perspective, and the thoughtful consciousness that reflects all ages of the human spectrum.

    Thank you deeply for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Samaire Armstrong


    Heads or Tails
    By Tommy Acosta
    Let’s face it. I love conspiracy theories. The more far-out the better. Yup. I’m one of those. Looking at the Trump raid fiasco there can only be two theories that I see fit perfectly into the scenario that’s being weaved for public consumption. The first is that what is happening is actually being engineered by the forces that want Trump to return to the White House. Just like with the Russia-Russia thing, what is going to happen after all the hoopla,Trump will be found completely innocent just like before and he will be loved even more by his fans and followers. Those who tried to put him down will be chagrinned while those who supported him politically will be exalted. Republicans will be revived, and they will go out and vote in a new Congress and Trump will rule once again. Then there is the other side of the coin. Read more→
    Recent Comments
    • J H Knstler on Heads or Tails
    • Holden Caulfield on Heads or Tails
    • Tony Tonsich on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    • Richard Saunders on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    • Peggy Sands on YSCO K9 Units Seize Over 50,000 Fentanyl Pills in Two Traffic Stops
    Categories
    © 2022 All rights reserved. Sedona.biz.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.