By Steve Segner
Sedona, AZ — As the election season unfolds, several candidates are campaigning on the premise that Sedona’s city government is broken. Before accepting that conclusion, voters should carefully examine the facts.
Sedona is in a unique financial position. Revenue generated largely through tourism-related sales and lodging taxes provides the city with resources that many communities can only dream of. The city maintains substantial financial reserves and continues to invest in public safety, infrastructure, transportation, and community improvements while preserving its long-term fiscal stability.
Some residents speak of “our tax dollars” as though public funds should be directed solely toward the interests of permanent residents. However, Sedona’s economy and tax base depend heavily on visitors. The city’s responsibility is broader than serving any one group. Local government must balance the needs of residents, businesses, employees, visitors, and travelers who use our roads, parks, and public services.
The claim that city leaders are not listening to residents is difficult to reconcile with reality. The City of Sedona regularly conducts public meetings, workshops, listening sessions, and planning processes designed to gather community input. Residents have numerous opportunities to participate in local decision-making and to make their voices heard.
The members of the Sedona City Council are elected not simply to follow public opinion, but to exercise independent judgment on behalf of the entire community. Their responsibility is to weigh competing interests, consider long-term consequences, and make decisions they believe will best serve Sedona’s future.
By most objective measures, Sedona is a well-managed city. It enjoys strong finances, a high quality of life, a vibrant economy, and an exceptional natural environment. The revenue generated by tourism enables the city to maintain services and invest in projects that benefit the community as a whole.
As voters consider Proposition 400 and the future of Home Rule, they should ask a straightforward question: Will Sedona residents be better served by preserving local control over the city’s financial resources, or by accepting limitations that could reduce the city’s ability to address local priorities and future challenges?
Reasonable people may disagree on the answer. But before concluding that Sedona’s government is broken, we should recognize that our city is financially strong, well-managed, and positioned to meet the needs of a diverse and growing community.
The question before voters is not whether Sedona’s government is broken. The question is how best to preserve and strengthen a community that is already succeeding. Vote yes on Home Rule 400 and no on 403 to protect Sedona from special interest groups with their own agenda