Sedona, AZ — The ballots have been counted, the speeches delivered, and campaign signs will soon disappear from our roadsides. But long after the election is over, the decisions made by Sedona voters on July 21 will continue shaping this community for years to come.
This was never simply a contest between personalities. It was an election about trust, priorities, and whether City Hall has been listening to its citizens.
Mayor-elect Brian Fultz defeated Henry Silbiger by a relatively narrow margin, receiving 1,698 votes (52.25%) to Silbiger’s 1,549 (47.66%). On the City Council, Jean-Christophe Buillet, Tony Hauserman, and incumbent Melissa Dunn secured the three available seats, while Rich Gay narrowly missed election despite receiving 1,628 votes. Lita Loesch Boyd finished fifth.
Although the margins were not overwhelming, they were decisive enough to send an unmistakable message.
Perhaps the clearest statement from voters came not in the candidate races but in the ballot propositions.
Nearly 61 percent approved Proposition 400, continuing Sedona’s Home Rule authority. That vote tells us residents remain comfortable allowing the city flexibility in budgeting rather than reverting to the state’s restrictive spending formula. At the same time, approval of Home Rule should not be mistaken as a blank check. If anything, the election demonstrated that voters expect flexibility to be accompanied by greater accountability and measurable results.
Even more revealing was Proposition 403.
By nearly the same margin—60.99 percent—voters declared that the Cultural Park and Western Gateway property should remain dedicated to cultural and recreational purposes rather than residential development. After years of debate, lawsuits, political division, and uncertainty, the electorate has now spoken with remarkable clarity.
The question is no longer what the public wants.
The question is whether the new council can finally deliver.
That responsibility now rests squarely on the shoulders of the incoming governing majority.
For years Sedona has wrestled with issues that seem perpetually unfinished: traffic congestion despite millions spent on Sedona in Motion; the Uptown parking garage that became synonymous with delays and cost overruns; debates over tourism, affordable housing, water, infrastructure, and the future of the Cultural Park. These are no longer campaign talking points. They are now governing responsibilities.
The election also reflected something subtler.
There appears to be growing public fatigue with process replacing progress.
Residents have attended meetings, served on committees, completed surveys, and participated in workshops. They have watched consultants produce studies while many projects remained mired in discussion.
This election suggests many voters are asking a simple question:
What have all those years of planning actually produced?
That question should echo through every council meeting over the next two years.
Another factor worth noting is turnout.
Combined county turnout was only about 31.4%, and several candidates remarked on the relatively light participation, likely influenced in part by the midsummer election calendar. While those who voted made their voices heard, the modest turnout also serves as a reminder that many residents left the future of their city in the hands of a relatively small share of the electorate.
The incoming council inherits both opportunity and expectation.
Buillet brings an analytical approach to city government. Hauserman enters office with years of community involvement and volunteer service. Dunn returns with experience and institutional knowledge. Together with the new mayor, they have an opportunity to reset relationships between City Hall and the public.
Whether they succeed will depend less on campaign promises than on execution.
Will they accelerate completion of long-delayed projects?
Will they improve transparency?
Will they restore confidence that public input genuinely influences public policy?
Will they move beyond studies and begin producing visible results?
Those are the standards by which this council will ultimately be judged.
Sedona remains one of America’s most extraordinary communities. Its challenges are unique because its beauty is unique. Balancing environmental stewardship, tourism, quality of life, economic vitality, and fiscal responsibility has never been simple, nor will it become easier.
But elections have a way of clarifying public sentiment.
On July 21, Sedona’s voters did exactly that.
They did not vote for revolution.
Nor did they vote for the status quo.
They voted for leadership that listens, manages responsibly, and delivers.
Now comes the difficult part.
Campaigns end.
Governing begins.
— By Tommy Acosta
24 Comments
Yes the voter turnout was low. I suggest it is because many leave Sedona to travel during the Summer. It is typical of Arizona residents to leave town during June and July… too hot!
Unfortunately apathy prevails, and apathy won the election. 31.4% turnout? An excuse as “this is summer” doesn’t cut it. People can be on early voting, many were, and either use the US mail, which I do not recommend, or the drop boxes. But if mail is all you have – use it. If you are at you summer cabin in Montana, you can still get your mail if y ou care about your city.
People forget about all the countries where there is no choice. No vote. No say. And we have that opportunity here and ignore it. Well, you get what you vote for. So do not complain.
An interesting observation, the people (who voted) hated the idea of the Cultural Park being used for housing and then they kept the same people on the council that came up with the idea. Want more of the same? Well you are going to get it. It should have been apparent when the voters said “no car park”, but I guess that message did not resonate well.
Congratulations to Jean, it is gong to be a challenge. And that’s a shame Rich did not get in as he knows more about IT and the integration of systems than the entire staff and council combined. But why be efficient when you have tons of money to burn?
There was lot of personal sweat put into this. Wish more voters in the city cared about how it is run.
First, thank you to the candidates that won or lost. Offering your time and hard work to support the city we all care about is commendable. It was a tough, hard fought election. It made voters think about what they want from their community. It is not about left leaning or right leaning. It is about what is best for the residents of Sedona. Strong arguments are the sign of a healthy democracy. The vote was clear. The city council needs to listen more to what the voters want and not try to force their private political agendas on residents. Thank you to all who voted. To
those who did not vote, I do not want to hear any complaints or gripes.
Sedona’s turnout was 36.21%, which compares rather favorably to Arizona as a whole (27.43%), per SoS website. Participation would likely be higher if local elections were linked to the general instead of the primaries, though it does not necessarily follow that the losers would have won, or the winners would have lost, if they were.
So it’s apathy or rigged if you lose but a bigly win if you don’t? Must have been fun playing board games with you as a kid? Perhaps the truth is that the MAJORITY do not agree with your minority views?
Hundred percent correct! The election was not about winners and losers it was about electing fellow citizens to be held 100% accountable as they navigate and orchestrate our City Government. The newly elected who screamed from mountains on high about how corrupt and failed our government is. Now it’s time for them to put all of their money where their mouths are and show us all how it is done. Should prove very interesting especially with those who haven’t a clue as to how a City or any other government is run lawfully.
It’s a shame the the voters did not care enough about Sedona to change the council. When the current council sued the residents and lost, the judge said they didn’t have enough of a case to stand on the head of a pin.
There was no reason to spend more than $120,000 of tax payer dollars to sue us, the residents. Let’s hope they learned by the outcome of Prop 403 and will consider the residents first before making decisions in the future.
I think you have your facts twisted. The city didn’t sue its residents, a tiny handful of wealthy residents sued the city using pro bono attorneys and were awarded monies from the city treasury. Thank your stars those minority citizens did not pack the city government with sycophancy and grift as they had intended. Most of all be thankful that Home Rule passed rather than being blocked by those who would rather the State of Arizona run Sedona verses Sedona governing itself.
To be clear the city council sued to stop an initiative that brought 1,400 signatures to get on the ballot so a vote could be taken to see what the residents want to do with the cultural park
The council said we don’t want you to vote whether your republican democratic independents or anything else And they SUED
We fought a revolution 250 years ago for the right to vote and this group of 7 said. You can’t vote and they lost
Sounds like someone is sore about not being elected as mayor.
Wait… I thought they successfully sued and now you say they lost???? Which is it?
They successfully sued but then lost the case in court the judge said that they couldn’t stand their case on the head of a pin. The residents were able to to get 403 on the ballot and the citizens:residents voted for it
Hope this clears it up
Successfully suing means winning a verdict/settlement in a court of law. It is not attempting to sue someone. Bigly difference just ask Stormy Daniel’s or Jean Carroll who successfully sued Donald J Trump and received legal settlements for their cases. Prop 403 only passed because the description of it on ballots was vague and unclear.
“We fought a revolution 250 years ago for the right to vote and this group of 7 said. You can’t vote and they lost“
“WE” did NOT fight a revolution 250 years ago. A very small percentage of some of the distant ancestors of those of us who live here today did after stealing this country from it’s rightful owners the First Nation Indigenous Peoples of North America (here long long before any Anglos).
Where’s your outcry and outrage over what happened and continues to happen to the rightful owners of this country?
Nobody took your land, nobody took your right to vote away and nobody has wrongfully incarcerated or deported you. In fact you probably won the grifter POTUS’s “Epstein class Tax Cuts for Life”. So why all the angst about the City attempting to help its homeless full time employees, which did NOT happen thanks to the wealthy cry babies who have zero compassion for those who serve them daily.
We had and have elections. And as MAGA loves to scream “elections have consequences”! Boy do they ever! This November is going to prove every single one of them right for being very wrong! They will face the consequences of their heinous and hate filled agendas!
Probably going to be the first time a sitting POTUS and his entire administration face domestic charges of war crimes, violations of numerous Federal, State and Local laws ranging from lying under oath to obstruction and corruption. Which is why they’re running scared and changing long standing Constitutional election laws of precedent at the very last minute in attempts to save themselves from legal consequences of their own criminal actions. Any other time they refuse to do anything, claiming they cannot due to an upcoming election. But since they see the bigly writing on the hate wall they’ve tossed that excuse out the window and onto their seedlings of fascism and hate.
Wow! You reply with fascism, MAGA. FYI at the time of the revolution they stole nothing. They fought for independence so you could be able to write what ever you want and vote.
The conversation that started all your go-forward-unnecessary political opinions was about the 403 initiative and how the elected council did not want you to vote on it. You go off the deep end instead of addressing the issue of why the council was trying to stop democrats, republicans, independents and all other voting residents from getting Prop 403 on the ballot.
No deep end here and I did provide factual discourse. The comparisons I use are all relevant to all politics of today. Why do we even need to vote on measures that help our un housed full time employees? I think that was the logic, not preventing others from having a say over the fate of those who serve you and all of us on a daily basis. I must be more radical than “chainsaw” Elon because I fail to see how not helping those folks is a good thing for Sedona any more than eliminating Home Rule would’ve been. But you somehow do??? Wondering why that is exactly????
MAGA does equal Fascism by every definition of the word. That’s a simple fact. I’m going to assume you are of Polish descent as I am, so you should know this to be true just as Russia’s occupation of Poland multiple times over the past several decades and even centuries was and is.
I use the comparisons of MAGA and those opposed to how Sedona is being governed as being one in the same because the messaging and phraseology you utilized during your campaigns was one in the same as all those running for office that are MAGA have used. Such as “purging Sedona City Government” “draining the Sedona City Government swamp” etc.
You are all missing the point Henry is making. The city council tried its darndest to stop the citizens of Sedna from exercising heir right to vote on Pop 403. What the council tried to do is totally n-American. What ever happened to respecting the will of the people? The council got its butt kicked and lost a lot of our taxpayer money in court. And we totally respect Mr. Silbiger who came within a hundred or so votes of becoming our next mayor. You can squawk all you want but the will of the people dominated, and you socialists out there lost. Boo Hoo to bad. Thank you Henry for being the champion of democracy in Sedona and up yor nose with a water hose, Jill and company.
Socialist huh? That all you got? You wouldn’t know what socialism is even though you have benefited from aspects of it your entire uneducated life.
Dude I foolishly voted straight ticket Republican up until the Orange Draft Dodger ran. I fought fascism my entire adult life while under oath and in uniform. Just because I’m smart enough not to support the ruin of our Democracy by a bunch of wealthy Epstein class criminals does not make me a socialist. There’s no such thing as a true socialist or socialism. Why? Because someone always gets greedy and ruins it. It is not communism nor is it fascism. It is just a concept of life and governance based upon complete equality vs haves and have nots like we have always had here in the US.
One would think a known draft dodger and convicted felon would be disliked more than the honorable people like the late Senator John McCain (a true Patriot ) has been because some draft dodger has service envey?
I think Henry is old enough to respond for himself?
So let me get this flip flopping straight. So the people of Sedona sued the city, so they coundnt help local employees, to put a roof over their heads? But at the same Time they want Sedona to help some independent commercial developer to save a music venue. Is that what your saying? Sure sound like Socialism, and picking winners and losers?
We live in a world of black and white, and gray no longer exists! So is this not a sign that greed lives? Compassion is dead? People puffing out their chests and showing that cruelty is all that matter.
It wasnt possible to help people along the way? Yet help for some Corporation? Were are the Tea Party people? Were are the “you didnt build this idiots”?
You people twist and turn like the GD wind! But one thing we all hear is you hate your fellow, citizens, neighbors, people who serve you, and fellow Americans! Great job you must be so proud! At some point I hope you reflect on your lives. And as your days getting shorter, remember what you did, and best of luck on your next adventure. You will need it!
Excellent WS Dave! Excellent! But you know you too will be labeled a “socialist” or a “communist” because you won’t play the fascist/fascism blame game of ignorance and blaming others for their own failures. Just as the Nazi’s did with Jews, Romani, Gays, Scientists, Journalists, Judges etc. Funny how actual patriots and heroes are slandered by cowards, haters and draft dodging convicted felons, while they have to cowardly hide behind guns and other people who do their violence and destruction for them. The world has been turned upon its head by fascist haters and it will hopefully soon be turned back to a place where hate is negative and abnormal and patriotism, equal rights and freedoms, lawfulness and constitutionality are the norm. After all we all share the same planet! Time for the haves to share and allow the have nots to live lives with all the basics the haves enjoy on a daily basis but the have nots have never or rarely experienced. The one percent currently holding all the cards need to learn that hoarding everything others helped them attain is not sustainable and it’s time “others” pull the plug on the one percenters once and for all. The MAGA folks claim to be “god fearing” Evangelicals while their daily actions are one hundred percent contrary to the words of Christ and the language used in the bible. The have covered for a “pussy grabber”, draft dodger, adulterer, grifter, liar and an armchair war criminal and insurrectionist. All un Christian and un American acts. And yet they continue to lie (a sin) and cover for (also a sin) for these acts which are appalling for anyone to commit much less the damned President! What a damned embarrassment our country has become under MAGA. It will take decades if not longer for us to recover from the crimes of the current administration and all of its constituents. Such a shame!
Those that throw stones at MAGA or any group that does believe they way do need to review history. Fascists and communists ideology state “choose my way or you die.” The Nazi party sent my father to concentration camps.The communist party sent my mother to the penal camps in Urals/Siberia. Hitler killed 10 million. Stalin over 25 million. Mao over 70 million and that just the Big 3.
The Sedona election is over and once again the ruling party has won. Let’s see if they learned anything from the election.
MAGA has shot and killed American citizens.
Maga has deported people with green cards.
MAGA has deported Americans.
MAGA has torn down part of the Whitehouse with no authorization.
MAGA is a disease that should not exist. Its only true value is to hurt others, bring cruelty to anyone other than white christian nationalists.
Remember no one had a clue about project 2025? Have you taken the time a read it yet?
I will end the war in 24 hours. Oh yea
I will lower prices on day one. On a roll now
Gas will be $2 a gallon. please stop your killing me!
And no new wars……………….Can I please have another 1/2 a billion for more wars.
MAGA go away, you are literally killing us all on many levels!