By Mike Schroeder
Sedona, AZ — Well, here we go again. It is like the never-ending story. And this once again centers around the holy third rail of Sedona City Government, Home Rule. Because without Home Rule, staff and council would actually have to use their heads to protect assets and help the community, instead of their egos and cover up their incompetence.
This so called “state of the art facility”, a building that would do Scottsdale proud, is proposed to be located by the Sewer Plant on 89A. Yes, you heard me right. Normally, maintenance buildings are metal construction, and can easily last 50 plus years if properly maintained. I built 3 metal builds, some with 2nd story offices and a call center (always cheaper to go up – someone should enlighten the city “engineer” writing the specifications). The one below is 41 years old, 10,000 square feet, 24ft clear, photo taken May 2026. Looks pretty much like the day I built it. I also gutted and renovated a 140,000 square ft. chip manufacturing plant, (had a level 2 environmental cleanup) which became the home office to my 10 warehouse distribution locations and a 50 seat call center. My airport hangar, built in 1994 in Sedona, looks pretty much as it did when we built it.
Why do I mention this? It is obvious from this proposed monstrosity from the City of Sedona, that I have forgotten more about building service facilities than these people have ever done. Not to mention, my aircraft maintenance facility in Lake Havasu (a rather hot place in the simmer) which can fit 4 King Air turboprops and a couple small planes in one hanger for maintenance and service. And NOTHING like the fancy and ridiculous facilities you will see below.
This “Taj Ma Garage” is not a maintenance facility, it is a monument to someone’s ego thanks to unlimited Home Rule Funds. OR…Maybe we will hear that this facility going to be paid by “a grant”. Like wasting taxpayer money is OK if it comes from somewhere else. Who pays after the “Grant”, if that is the case? This Boondoggle, for busses we should NOT EVEN OWN, has personnel stations and offices for 26 people, NOT INCLUDING MECHANICS! You do know we have great tourist transportation companies here in Sedona that would be happy to contract to run our trailhead busses – but ego got in the way, so they were never given the chance. City loves to ignore our local businesses.
I learned that lesson a long time ago. You do what you do best, and if you do not do it, and need it, you CONTRACT it, so if it does not work, you terminate the contract. You do not create a monster in and area that you are not the expert on. Common Sense – 101. I had trucks for about 6 months to deliver goods to dealers and warehouses – that was an expensive lesson. We are NOT Phoenix with fleets of city busses. And even big city’s subcontract services.
The city does not know how to issue a contract and keeps using the same staff and contractors. Forest Road Extension, Council Approved estimate, $2.772 million, cost, $18.2 million, 650% over. Eminent domain settlements, terrain (gee they built it on the side of a mountain), and STILL have an outstanding lawsuit pending.
Uptown Garage, Council approved $17,5 million, final cost…maybe, $26 Million. Net REDUCTION of Uptown parking spots. Oh, they didn’t mention that?
Uptown, added roundabouts, median, fencing in the center, $2.8 Million. Ruined northbound traffic flow OUT of SEDONA.
City is securing $5.4 million for a Brewer/Ranger road roundabout wiping out the businesses in that area… because they say they care about the locals? Right.
$914,278 in Upton to create a “zipper lane” that does not work and backs up traffic on SR179.
A council and staff with TOO much money, little talent and forethought, and bad engineering advice from staff and contractors.
The projected cost of the Taj Ma Garage is $36 MILLION, with 3 bays, 6 vehicles.
THAT’S 12 MILLION DOLLARS A BAY. Freightliner in Avondale, west Phoenix, heavy truck repair does not have a facility like this. Yes – I use them, so I am familiar with their operation and facility.
Do you remember what I just said above? I just listed 5 items that were either GROSSLY mismanaged, contracts that were so open-ended that the contractors made out like bandits or did not get the results intended. (HINT UPTOWN – Get rid of the fancy plants and laser cut fence (you already have a lawsuit on that one), give us our two lanes out of town back and relive the pressure on the Y that backs up 179N way past Tlaquepaque – oh, and would allow the EMER vehicles to go northbound on 179 from station 6. Waiting for that lawsuit. Hope the city insurance premiums are paid up.
Maybe clean up the Forest road STOP sign issue?
This Taj Ma Garage projected cost is $36 million. Wonder what the real cost is. You know, maybe these low-ball numbers from the city are intentional. Telling you Forest Road is $2.77, you say “not bad”, then comes in at $18.2, or a garage at $11million, now $26 million. “Gee, we are sorry we screwed up, but we are in so deep we have to finish it”. Or, we “Built in” change orders. Has anyone reading this ever issued a construction or a performance contract? I have, and if written properly, if under preformed, you pay LESS not MORE. Try negotiating a space craft build for $445 million or a rocket launch for $75 million just to name a few.
How much confidence over zero do you have in existing council or staff to pull this off? And why would you want it at all. Just look at the Shelby road Apt project, they just wiped out additional parking ,so only 1 car space per unit.
SOME NUTS AN BOLTS – AND HARD QUESTIONS
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THESE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED OF THE CITY…
- Why is there a gas station at the bus barn? Pink Jeep has over a 100 vehicles and doesn’t see the need for a gas station, we have half a dozen… Aside from just cost, there’s all sorts of environmental issues and other problems, would you consider removing that. NO, WE NEED IT!
- Would you consider having less bays because it’s a bit much for our size. NO WE NEED IT, EVERYONE WANTS TO FIX THEIR VEHICLES WITH US! (uh, maybe not)
- Would you consider doing the garage at a more basic level that just satisfies fundamental needs like a covered parking area and perhaps one repair bay. NO!
- There was zero flexibility on anything, it was Taj Ma Garage or nothing.
The biggest frustration was how inflexible the city was, but is anyone really surprised? IF this is indeed GRANT MONEY, that does not mean continued grant money coming in to run this monstrosity. But then, that’s another council’s problem, right?
This isn’t a “maintenance facility – it’s a resort
Please “zoom in” on this diagram, look at the detail. If you can’t zoom in here, go to the website below.
This is NOT a facility; this is a monument to STAFF and an irresponsible Council – and if it is GRANT money – it is NOT well Spent. AND, if something happens, who shoulders the liability. Sedona has NEVER won a lawsuit.
- Why are we getting so little maintenance capability for the money?
- Why do you need a fitness facility?
- Why do we need two break rooms?
- Why is there a shared restroom with only one shower? (Insane)
- Why is there a gas station? Wouldn’t that take money away from local businesses? What happened to the EV strategy?
- What is a “Huddle Room” and why do we need 3 of them?
- Why is there a CONFERENCE ROOM and a TRAINING ROOM, and storage for each?
- Why is there a BREAK/LUNCH ROOM and a DAY/LUNCH ROOM?
- Why is there a TIRE SHOP when we have several tire shops in SEDONA?
- Why is Sedona competing against local businesses?
- Why is there a QUIET ROOM – is the a DAY SPA?
- What is a “Wellness Room”?
- A DATA COM ROOM, an IT SHOP/STORAGE ROOM, FACILITY MAINTENANCE office?
- Fleet and Maintenance Manager Office?
- Facility Manager Office?
- Compliance Service Supervisor Office?
- Transportation Supervisor Office?
- HR Manager? Don’t we have one of those in Sedona, or does this person actually work 5 days a week instead of 4? (that’s another letter to the editor)
- Compliance Officer Office?
- Admin Director Office?
- Operations Manager Office?
- 8 OPEN OFFICE Workstations for Administration?
- 8 OPEN OFFICE Workstations for Operations?
- What is a DISPATCH Suite? – with DISPATCH Storage and LOST AND FOUND?
All these people, and you have not turned 1 wrench to work on 1 vehicle for a system we should NOT even have.
You want to build something at the Dells, across the street from the Sewer plant? Put in an affordable housing project, LET someone build it that knows what they are doing and lease them the property for $100 bucks a year on a 100-year lease.
If you vote NO on Home Rule, you put the brakes on nonsense like this, and the cost overruns and the waste. That does not mean you have to stop capital projects, but it means that you can’t run this city with the exiting council and many of the staff. And that is obvious.
You get to make that choice NOW and on the 21st.
If you want a LOT more back up detail on this post, downloadable facts, numbers and figures, go to:
You will also find the candidates, their videos, their websites and their vision to turn the city around and create a responsible government that actually cares about the CITIZENS and not themselves and the monuments that are being built that serve little purpose but to feed egos.
15 Comments
Now just a simple google search:
Constructing a 150-space, 3-story parking garage that is partially underground will cost between \(\$6.75 \text{ million}\) and \(\$11.25 \text{ million}\).Building underground is the most expensive way to park cars. You must dig into the earth and seal out water. Above ground, you only need to support the structure against wind and weight.A space in an above-ground garage costs about \(\$35,000\) to build. An underground space costs about \(\$45,000\) to \(\$75,000\) or more.The exact price depends on these factors:Digging limits: Hitting hard rock or a high water table drives up the price. You must pay to pump water out and carve out the dirt.Site support: The deeper you dig, the more you must hold up the dirt walls around your property. This requires thick concrete and steel.Ventilation: Underground garages require huge fans to blow out toxic car gases.
Local rules: Your city may require space for electric car chargers or complex fire safety systems.Architects and fees: Planning and design fees add another \(15\%\) to \(30\%\) on top of the physical building costs.
Here is a good read also….
How Much Does a Parking Garage Cost in 2026? (Per Space, Per Sq Ft & Full Cost Breakdown)
https://smartconstructs.com/parking-garage-cost/
Whenever big money makes complaints about the politics of those holding office it is almost always simply because they’re not making free money off of that system designed for the masses not a select few wealthy “entrepreneurs” constantly seeking ways to profit off of their government rather than making it fair and equal for all.
It is far cheaper long term for the city to buy rather than lease shuttle buses and far cheaper to maintain and store them than farm the maintenance and storage out to third parties.
https://buscmms.com/blog/leasing-vs-buying-buses-2026-maintenance-strategy
Once again, Mike is speaking without a full understanding of the project.
The City needs a modern maintenance facility—not just for our federally funded transit vehicles, but also to support the Police Department, Public Works, and other essential city services. The concept also includes the potential for a regional maintenance center, allowing neighboring jurisdictions to share the facility and its costs, making it a more efficient investment for everyone.
I sat through nearly eight hours of presentations by the architectural and planning team. They asked detailed questions of every city department before developing the proposal. This project wasn’t put together casually. It is the result of careful planning by professionals who understand the City’s long-term operational needs.
Rather than second-guessing their work based on assumptions, let’s allow the process to move forward. The proposal will go through City Council, public meetings, and open discussion, where residents will have every opportunity to ask questions and provide input before any decisions are made.
Let’s also be honest about the larger issue. This isn’t really about whether the City needs a maintenance facility. It’s about opposition to government providing certain public services. In particular, there has been criticism of Sedona’s award-winning transit system, even as that service continues to expand and provide increasing benefits to residents, employees, and visitors.
Let’s have the debate based on facts, not assumptions, and allow the public process to work as intended.
“Let’s have the debate based on facts, not assumptions, and allow the public process to work as intended“
They don’t want debate they want DOGE style chainsaw action upon everyone and everything getting in the way of their small collective of self enrichment profiteers just like DOGE and MAGA (which they also support). They don’t assume anything because they do not care about facts they only care about how they can profit off of City projects rather than being legally excluded from doing so. If it doesn’t involve granting of contracts for building and leasing properties and equipment that involves them or their pals directly they are opposed. Anything they can control the narrative on and make money from is what they seek. Thank goodness their expensive propaganda campaign against our city government will soon either come to fruition or it will die a laughable death just as their previous attempts to take a chainsaw to our town very much have. I pray for and voted for the latter of the two.
We moved here 32 years ago. We loved Sedona. We had a cafe in uptown. Tourists waited in line. The tourism was so much better, than it is now. The businesses target marketed themselves. The city did not market the businesses. The tourists were made up of wealthy art collectors, families, and foreigners from all around the world. Tourism was vibrant and healthy then. They would stay by the week every year. There was a waiting line to get a business into uptown. In fact, a business at the Matterhorn sold their lease for $100,000. I want to cry when I watch Sedona being destroyed and overmarketed. Greed has ruined our town. The ruination of Sedona accelerated in 2013 when The Chamber received their no bid contract to market the region. They brought in day trippers and drive through traffic that increased traffic to a standstill. They chased the wealthy, families, and foreigners out of town because of too much traffic. I remember Jennifer Wesselhoff, chamber CEO, state in a council meeting, we don’t want just any tourists, we want wealthy art collectors. They did just the opposite. She said the residents contribute very little to the Sedona economy. That was a lie. City council bought it hook, line, and sinker. Millions of our tax dollars wasted on a tourism first agenda. That’s when the city stopped respecting its residents. They did not want us involved in the way the city was run. They would not listen when we said stop giving our tax dollars to the chamber. Many people were afraid to speak up. Fear of retaliation if we didn’t go along. The city uses our tax dollars against the residents. It became an us vs them mentality. Big groups benefit from city handouts, that is the way the city controls voting. The only way to have a chance at voting is to have maximum voter turnout. This election we finally have a chance. Please vote no on home rule and yes on 403. Please vote in the residents first slate. Henry Silbiger for Mayor, Lita Boyd, Jean Buillet, and Rich Gay for City Council. It is not too late to reverse the damage that Sedona and its residents have endured.
“The tourists were made up of wealthy art collectors, families, and foreigners from all around the world”
And there you have it folks, if it doesn’t attract big money and big profits then it’s “no good”, “corrupt”, “opaque rather than transparent”! This is why locals with big money are attempting to destroy Sedona’s self governance and replace it with a state governance that won’t restrict their big money profiteering.
“Big groups benefit from city handouts, that is the way the city controls voting”
Name one. And again with the rigged election horseshit nonsense. I’ve never had my vote controlled by any city government or any government for that matter ever up until MAGA came along. Governments who do the right things for the many rather than just the minutia of wealthy Epstein Class that poor dark money into elections in order to get things passed that benefit them financially and screws everyone else. Your rant about wealthy healthy tourists wreaks of privilege, conceit and disdain for the lesser classes who come here and pay for the same tourist trap crap everyone else does with the exception of far overly priced art and stones, which you cannot eat anyway (people would rather eat than waste money on things to stare at). Such grand news that Home Rule passed as a testament as to what the masses of Sedona truly thunk of the No Home Rule propaganda and hysteria.
Mike has expressed concerns about city projects, but sometimes his comments do not reflect the full context.
He’s calling the new regional transit maintenance facility the “Taj Ma Garage” and claiming it will cost $36 million. That characterization is misleading. This is not just a garage—it’s a federally compliant regional maintenance facility for Sedona’s voter-approved public transit system, designed to ensure regional transit vehicles are safely and efficiently maintained to federal standards, enhancing service for Sedona and neighboring communities.
Sedona operates more than 100 vehicles. Federal regulations require some of those vehicles to be maintained by certified mechanics in facilities that meet federal standards. The project remains in the planning and design phase to ensure these requirements are met. Greater engagement with City Council meetings or discussions with staff may help clarify these points.
This facility is an investment in safe, reliable public transportation for Sedona and neighboring communities. Maintaining vehicles to the highest standards helps ensure on-time transit service, reduces breakdowns, and promotes public safety for residents, workers, seniors, and visitors.
This isn’t the first time Mike has opposed a public investment without understanding its purpose. He previously argued Sedona didn’t need a ladder truck because “there are no high-rises,” until the fire chief explained Uptown’s buildings and the ladder truck’s essential role.
Mike also complains that the city owns too much property and doesn’t pay county property taxes, implying this shifts the tax burden. Yet he still benefits from the services those investments provide.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but opinions should be based on facts. Sedona needs infrastructure for today’s and tomorrow’s demands. Investing in safety and reliable transit is responsible leadership.
This version is firmer, avoids name-calling, and focuses on factual rebuttals, which can be more effective in public discussions.
Thank you, Sedona, for standing up for Home Rule and for making decisions that reflect our community’s needs and values. Our town should never apologize for investing tax dollars in projects and services that improve public spaces, strengthen infrastructure, and enhance quality of life. Sedona is a successful and prosperous community, and we should take pride in that success. Let’s keep moving forward—working together to improve, protect, and beautify our remarkable little town for current and future generations.
“You won’t believe what the City Council is planning”
“Bat Boy Lives”
“Enquirer says Elvis, Alive and Well in Trinidad”
“Sky is Falling”
Yep JB, just imagine how awful the next 4 years will be?
Maybe that roundabout will be built at Ranger and Brewer?
Then that new road that completely bypasses the Y?
Add more sidewalks so its safe to walk?
Maybe we can get the Connect to run more days to help out locals, the elderly, and the disabled?
The horror of moving forward and fixing things?
Keep the police dept up, and keeping people safe.
Sounds like the next 4 years will just be a nightmare!
WS Dave,
not sure how those against Sedona’s remaining current and safe for all are going to fare without the State telling us what we can or cannot do with our own town as they so wanted?
Side walks where there is currently no safe place to walk and traffic circles to slow speeders down- Oh my! The absolute horror! And that maintenance terminal for all Sedona owned city vehicles with fuel pumps supplied by bulk flat rate purchases of fuel rather than paying the ever increasing and fluctuating fuels prices at privately owned gas stations that are currently at the mercy of Iran. Ludicrous they scream!
It’s going to be an interesting next 4 years with 3 MAGA candidates navigating a Pro Home Rule town and government. I suspect we’ll see more money making $30 K plus pro bono lawsuits against the city they now have 3 of their own running, over a lot of nonsense.
Only one member of the slate won and I do not know if he is MAGA. It was hard to discern what they actually stood for. Moot point now, though.
You have to look at their posting history’s, who they work with and do a little google search on their history of campaign donations. Also look at where they each stood on issues such as affordable workforce housing, Home Rule, lies about keeping Sedona self governed and small by voting against Home Rule and thereby handing fiscal control of Sedona to the State Government, Sedona PD directly assisting CBP/DHS/ICE unless serving a high risk warrant etc. tells one all you need to know about their politics.