Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow Reflects on His Re-Election

By Tommy Acosta

Sedona Mayer Scott Jablow has been re-elected for a second term and he has no intentions of slowing down.

Working 30 to forty hours a week meeting his obligations as a mayor and beyond, he works tirelessly to continue to improve the quality of life and vitality of the Sedona.

Reflecting on his latest victory, he shares his feelings on this election and the one before.

“I feel really good because it will allow me to work with the rest of the council to do some very positive things and respond to the requests from our residents,” he said. “We have a lot of great projects that are moving forward, and I feel good being a part of them. This election was not as nasty as the last one. I felt I had a lot more support this year from both sides of the aisle where two years ago was more a partisan election even though the mayor’s office is non-partisan position. So, this time I had a lot of Republicans as well as Democrats voting for me.”

Born and raised in Long Island, in Queens, a borough of New York City, he never dreamt he would someday be the mayor of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

“No, I never envisioned it,” he remarked. “When I speak with people back in Long Island, they’re astonished that I’m the Mayor here, given the different ways local governments operate. On Long Island, many mayors are attorneys because they operate under a Strong Mayor system, where the Mayor is in charge of public works, highways, finance, and so on. In Arizona, however, with 91 cities and towns like Sedona, we have a City Manager form of government. Here, the Mayor and Council members are responsible for setting policy and hiring key leaders such as a manager, attorney, and judge. The manager oversees the day-to-day operations, marking the distinction between a strong mayor and a city manager government. Nevertheless, I am immensely thankful for my accomplishments as Sedona’s mayor, and my friends back home share in my pride and excitement.”

After serving eight years on the Sedona city council, and as it’s vice-mayor, it was a natural progression for him to serve as mayor.

“Well, I guess being on council for eight years I knew the time was right and I’ve been here for so long I just want to give back,” he said. “People were not happy with the former mayor and I felt that it was time for a change. I feel that I was very different from her two years ago and I still feel that today.”

He believes his service as a police officer in New York primed his desire to serve.

“As a cop since 1980 I was always giving back to the community,” he said. “After 31 years  I retired and came here not thinking I would ever do anything like this. I fell in love with this community and I wanted to continue serving.”

There is unfinished business from his first two years as mayor and he’s ready to get to work to complete it.

“I aim to finalize projects like the Forest Road Extension,” he stated. “Another objective is to attract responsible individuals to our city who will honor our sacred land while also contributing financially. Furthermore, I wish to clarify that this isn’t a matter of one side against another. Collaboration is essential because we face opposition from the state legislature and short-term rentals. Even Yavapai College seems to be in opposition. Our community needs to stand united and fight together, which will fortify our city.”

Jablow knows there will be new challenges in addition to the present ones facing Sedona over the next two years and he intends to be ready.

“Something unexpected could emerge tomorrow,” he stated. “Something novel and distinctive. Housing is a necessity. We haven’t met our housing goals yet, but we aim to break ground on Shelby in the coming month or two, pending permit approvals. That will be our inaugural housing endeavor. We’re looking to develop on Sunset, yet funding issues persist. The government’s interest rate hike impacted many projects adversely. Moreover, we must strike a balance between the demand for housing, its location, and the current residents’ concerns. Our goal is to ensure harmony, not discord, between the inhabitants and the new development. Striking the right balance in our approach is quite challenging.”

He remains thankful and grateful for those who elected him and a city council he believes is ready to work with him for the benefit of the community.

“All the people that voted for me I’d like to thank them very much,” he said. “I really appreciate their support. And for those who didn’t vote for me I will spend the next two years proving myself to them and hopefully we’ll have their vote as well in another two years when I run again in 2026.

I like the council that we have now. We make a great team and it’s all about being a team. It’s not about me. I work and depend very closely on the vice mayor and the rest of the council. I can only talk to two members at a time at any point about a project, due to open meeting laws. But I spread the wealth on any project, and I do take input from others on the council. That’s what makes us a team. It’s not me versus them. It’s all of us working together.”

Even though putting in a full week’s work is not a prerequisite for being mayor, Jablow sees and believes his duties require that if he is to serve Sedona to the best of his abilities, he needs to put the time in.

“I probably put in, depending on the week, 30 to 40 hours if not more,” he said.  “I do that when the state legislature in session. Or I want to go meet or senator or representative in Prescott. Sometimes you have to go see them in a hurry and I hop in my car and drive. I work Sundays and Saturdays. It doesn’t make a difference.”

In closing, the mayor re-iterates his gratitude to the community.

“Like I said before, I want to thank those who voted for me,” he concludes. “And for those that didn’t, I hope to gain their trust and that I’ll have their vote in two years.”