By Vice-Mayor Scott Jablow
Sedona, AZ — An essential part of the government’s role is to ensure that businesses can operate in a fair and level playing field with real opportunities for success. That doesn’t mean that there are no regulations because regulations protect businesses as well as consumers.
The regulations Sedona enforces do not circumvent the local businesses’ ability to thrive. All successful cities have business regulations. The City reviews and modifies regulations regularly to address problems or concerns. No one likes all regulations, but they are necessary to create an equitable, prosperous, and balanced community.
Operating under the International Building Code, Sedona can modify those codes however and whenever it wants in order to best serve the community.
Sedona needs building codes for the safety of the community, and adopting and modifying a standard, best practices model makes good management sense.
If the private industry could meet all the needs of our community, it would be doing that. It would fund the Library, the Recycling Center, Caregivers, and the Community Center. Itwould provide shuttles to the trailheads, it would provide concerts and films at Posse Grounds would provide events like Pumpkin Splash, Celebration of Spring, Westfest on July 4th.
It would create a transit system that will connect Sedona with VOC and destinations in the Canyon. It would provide affordable workforce housing. The fact is that private industry is predicated on profit, providing municipal services at no profit is fundamental to a vibrant community.
The role of a representative, elected government is to provide necessary services that individuals can’t provide for themselves that isn’t profitable enough for private businesses to provide.
The fact is local businesses cannot provide every service the City requires. As vice-mayor, I’ve heard repeatedly that there is a local business that was ready, willing, and able to provide the transit service the City is developing. The City went ahead and issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) for those services rather than select that business.
No local business bid on that RFP or even talked to staff about their interest. It’s been alleged that the insurance requirement was too high, that the experience requirement was too high,and that we stifled local businesses. The fact is that the insurance and experiencerequirements in the RFP ensure that the City can be certain that the successful bidder can do the job. Again, good management practice.
Editor’s Note: This article reflects only the views of Vice-Mayor Scott Jablow and does not represent in any way the views of the sitting Sedona City Council.
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11 Comments
Scott, this might be the biggest error in a campaign I have ever seen. First of all, your career as a government employee at the NYPD could not be more apparent. You must not understand that it is indeed the private sector that has funded the Library, the Recycling Center, Caregivers, and the Community Center. Where do you think the City is getting its budget funds? You are taxing private citizens.
But most egregious is you exposing the well-known government scandal of RFPs. We all know and understand that government stringently designs the wording of those RFPs so that only one company will qualify for the contract. The outcome is pre-determined. That is government 101.
What you have voted Sedona into is an unofficial union. As NYPD, you are very familiar with how unions work. This is why it is no big deal for you to sign Sedona up for the Climate Mayor Network and the ICLEI network. You have described at length in various other blunders how the city gets bargaining power by working together with the other cities in those networks.
Why don’t you tell us if the company that won that RFP is a member of the network? Where is the transparency?
It would be nice if you could remember us little people who pay the bills of your big spending budget when you go around taking credit for the city as if it’s something apart from the people it serves.
Jablow has unintentionally clarified why we need change in Sedona.
The beautiful Sedona Library was built ENTIRELY with private donations. It is NOT a part of the “City of Sedona”.
While the City of Sedona gifts money to the Sedona Library every year, most of that money is put in an investment account by the Sedona Library for rainy day money. The last time I checked, about 4 years ago there was over $1,000,000 in that Sedona Library fund. The lovely woman who runs the Sedona library went from a librarian to the ” Library Director.” Why not , there is plenty of money from the city.
Why it the “City of Sedona” so generous? I think so they can say you can’t shut us down, we fund the library !!
I love the library, Sedona residents did not need funds from the City of Sedona to build it.
Sedona residents don’t need the city to fund it.
Another Jablow admission, saying the city supports the Wine Fest. Last time I checked, the Wine Fest was owned by a company named Sedona Faire, who had on it’s board of directors Sandy Moriarty, the most recent mayor of Sedona.
I know all of us here have never known a politician to profit from their position.
Does she still own it? Was the Wine Fest sold to the City of Sedona? You might want to find out.
I bet Jablow knows. Hey Scotty, enlighten us?
Hey Jablow, did you live in Sedona when the Kiwanis sponsored the Easter egg hunt?
That was before the city decided they needed to take it over.
Funny what citizens can do with out a city to tell them. Perhaps they really don’t need a city?
I still like the California town with a Golden Retriever as Mayor. If I had won mayor I was going to try to have a dog be my successor.
https://mayormax.com/
But wait, there’s more !!
Dog as Mayor In Minnesota
https://mashable.com/article/dog-reelected-as-mayor
Dog as Mayor In California
https://www.obsev.com/life/dog-mayor-california-town-idyllwild/
Kentucky town, Mayor is all ears
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/kentucky-town-elects-dog-as-mayor
Dogs, Cats and a goat as mayor
https://www.insider.com/dog-mayors-of-america-2019-7
Here’s one: Arizona city refuses to elect “Tonsich” mayor
https://www.redrocknews.com/2018-sedona-primary-election-results/
Tony fled town after his drubbing. He and Rob Adams need to form a club of childish losers so the rest of us adults can move on and decide to vote for Ms. Armstrong or Mr. Jablow
Me thinks Tiny is jealous that Jablow won as mayor of Sedona when he so so woefully got blown out as the ultimate loser when he ran…..
There spending too much money on police tires was another one of Tony T’s complaints… your a sore small minded election loser Tony.
@Richard Saunders,
As usual you are delusional. Jablow has not won as mayor. Hopefully he will not.
My goal all along was the elimination of the “city” of Sedona. If not from within as mayor, then by planting seeds in voters minds.
You plant a seed with the hope that someone in the future enjoys the fruit. Some seeds fail to grow, others are bountiful.
Sedona as a town was beautiful. It can be again.
I still favor a dog as mayor. I think one should be on the Sedona ballot next election.
The truth is like a Lion, you don’t have to defend it.
Just let it loose, it will defend itself.
I didn’t think Mr Tonsich was running for mayor. Yet you keep attacking him. You don’t present any logical argument against what he says.
Are you afraid of his truth? Prove him wrong. State facts. Attacking him proves nothing. He doesn’t even live in Sedona according to some on here.
Scott Jablow is making a terrible mistake allowing himself to be lured into a political trap set for him in the debate to be conducted by the Red Rock Snooze. Anyone can see they are terribly prejudiced against the city council, as evidenced by their constant barrage of criticisms. Everyone knows the editor is a bully that uses his position to batter anyone that does not agree or obey him. He is probably one of the most disliked people in Sedona. Jablow will be eviscerated by the moderators and they will do all in their power to make him look bad and his opponent good. They will ask questions that are embarrassing to Jablow, blaming him as a standing council member for everything that’s wrong in Sedona. He should tell them to shove it. Why subject himself to their arrogance and manipulations? It will not be a fair debate. The Red Rock Snooze has never been fair. All it is, is a tool used by their editor to fluff his fragile ego and hurt people that have no voice or political clout. I am sure his opponent is well meaning and also cares about the community. She should, in the name of decency and fair play, disavow herself from that rag. Don’t to it Scott.
Jablow continues to justify his actions and pretends that he has had no part in the demise of our beautiful town.
What happened to the Roadrunner? You guys keep acting like you’re going to save us with shuttles. That’s a big lie.
By the way, we’re sick and tired of you running small businesses out of our town! What happened to the Book Worm (a 65 year old business)? Why did the city council decide to eliminate all UHaul’s? So you could allow another ATV rental?