Sedona AZ — If you recently moved to Sedona, you may notice that every four years, residents vote on something called Home Rule.
The July 21 vote is simply about who controls Sedona’s city budget.
What Is Home Rule?
Home Rule allows the City of Sedona to decide how to spend the revenue it already collects to provide city services.
Without Home Rule, Sedona would be forced to follow a state spending formula created in 1979.
Arizona law requires voters to renew Home Rule every four years.
Is Home Rule a Tax Increase?
No.
Home Rule does not raise or create new taxes.
It does not:
- Raise sales tax
- Raise the bed tax paid by visitors
- Create a property tax (Sedona has none)
It only determines whether Sedona can use the money it already collects.
Where Does Sedona’s Revenue Come From?
About 70-80% of the city’s revenue comes from visitors, mainly through:
- Sales tax from tourism
- Hotel bed taxes
Residents of the City of Sedona pay a smaller portion of the total budget, mostly through normal sales tax (3.5%) on purchases in town and online, but not on food purchased at a grocery store.
And this is for city residents, not those living outside the limits in the county, like the Village of Oak Creek or Oak Creek Canyon, which have a Sedona postal address but are not in the city limits. They do pay into the city’s treasury if they actually buy a product at a Sedona-based business, like a restaurant. But if they buy online, such as on Amazon, or their utility bills, the city of Sedona does not receive one cent.
And remember, the City of Sedona does not have a property tax as a source of income. The School District and Fire District do, but not the city. That is why sales and bed tax are major sources of income for the city’s operations. What Happens if Home Rule Passes?
Sedona continues to fund normal city services such as:
- Police and public safety
- Road maintenance
- Transit and traffic programs
- Parks and recreation
- City planning and administration
- Support for local non-profits like the Sedona Public Library, Meals on Wheels, the Humane Society, and the Food Bank
What Happens if Home Rule Fails?
If Home Rule does not pass, Sedona must follow a state spending cap based on the 1979 budgets.
That limit would allow the city to spend about $15 million — roughly 80% less than today’s budget. The city would be able to pay some current ongoing legal debts, such as bonds, above and beyond this $15 million limit. But in the end, the current 2026 budget of around $100 million would be cut by about 70 million. Which means many ongoing infrastructure projects could, and would probably be halted.
The city would still collect the same taxes, but much of that money could not legally be spent. It would just sit in the bank, probably earning minimal interest.
To comply with the cap, the city would likely have to reduce:
- Police staffing
- Road maintenance
- Transit services
- Parks and recreation
- City staff and services
- Funding for community non-profits
What the July 21 Vote Means
The vote comes down to one question:
Should Sedona control how it spends its own revenue, or should spending be limited by a state formula from 1979?
Vote YES
- Keeps local control of the city budget
- Allows Sedona to use the revenue it already collects
- Maintains city services and programs
Vote NO
- Major reductions in services are likely
- Tax revenue is collected, but much of it cannot be used
Home Rule is about local budget control — not raising taxes.
Please vote YES on Home Rule in the July 21 election here in Sedona.
And remember, Home Rule is referred to as: “The Alternative Expenditure Limitation” on the ballot.
For more information, click https://sedonahomerule.com/
NOTE: There will be a public forum on Home Rule on June 25 in Sedona to discuss all the elements of this election on July 21.
• Paid for by Sedona Democracy Alliance, Inc., a political action committee supporting public communications and outreach to inform Sedona voters.
30 Comments
Lived here about 20 years now. Always voted for Home Rule. Will not this time. Fact is we’ve had about the same number of tourists, and full time residents, over the past 20 years. But the number of City staff employees and departments is probably quintupled, as has the budget. And, in the opinion of many who have lived here more than a few years, the quality of life for full time residents is, if anything, worse. The only way to get spending under some sort of reasonable control is to shock City government, by cutting off their access to their money spigot.
WS Dave,
I’m all for Home Rule as well. I’ve not received that survey yet just the cultural park nonsense one that people will shoot down anything meant to help those in need with because they’d rather make bigly profits off a temporary music venue that will run dry in a year or two and we’ll end up right back to where we are now, an amphitheater rotting in the sun taking up space that could be utilized to help Sedona’s un housed employees (the people who keep the city running).
I’m with you Daniel.
I’m probably going to vote against it this time too. I’ve always voted for it in the past, but there’s just been too much to ignore these last several years. And it’s not just the fatigue from overzealous projects and irresponsible spending. It also seems like this City government doesn’t care much about us at all. The condescending attitudes, the leading and manipulative surveys and town halls, the purposeful lack of clarity… it’s embarrassing and unprofessional and makes it difficult for residents to feel proud to be here. It’s becoming increasingly difficult not to STR my place and leave town. If City government doesn’t care about our preferences maybe sanding the gears by voting No on Home Rule is all we can do at this point. To Michael’s excellent post below, it will compel them to seek more meaningful citizen engagement.
Dr. Sullivan: I would invite you to consider some of the root causes for the changes we’ve all seen in our Beloved Sedona over the past 20 years.
It seems to me that the really big changes came around 2016. That is when the Arizona State Legislature enacted SB1350 which erased the City of Sedona ordinance that restricted rentals to a minimum of 30 days. This opened the door to the rise of STR’s within our community. Depending upon your source of statistics, were around 20% of our housing is now STR’s. In Uptown the RRN map from a couple of years ago showed about 70% in this neighborhood. They are now STR slums (I know some get triggered by the word “slum”, but what would you call it on a high-season Friday/Saturday night when it’s party time?).
All of which has destroyed our community and what community culture we’ve enjoyed for decades.
The tourism business is now ~84% of all busines income. It drives our local economy. It is why there are $’s to spend for mitigating the negative affects of tourism (parking on peoples front yards in Uptown, traffic flow wil SIM projects, etc…).
The problem is this: cut the current $103M budget down to $25M is the result if Home Rule isn’t passed. The tourists will still come. But, we may not have the services to support them. During high season, our 9500ish population is dwafted by the 20,000 visitors on a daily basis. The budget is needed for our town to continue to maintain what is left post SB1350.
If you want to re-grow our town into being less dependent upon the tourism business, keep growing our non-STR housing base, keep putting in mitigation for traffic management to help us locals survive the traffic snarls during high-season – you will vote YES ON HOME RULE
I appreciate your reply. However it seems to more responsive to the housing issue here, a result of the State legislatures sell out to STR interests, about 8 years ago, with a bloated City budget, driven by largely the “growth” of the number of staff employee and department numbers, which began around the same time. These two problems, imo, are separate, and largely unrelated. It is also unrelated to the number of tourist visits, which haven’t changed for many years.
Daniel MD JD
Your comments do not provide any facts.
Please provide the data and source for your statements that the City of Sedona is over staffed and that spending out of control. Cite the spending deficit and what should be done to adjust it other than let a nearly 50 year old budget policy govern the city budget.
Also please specify why you feel life in Sedona is now worse and what should be done about it??
Your last statement implies that revenue raised for the city cannot be used by the city to provide services for its residents. Please explain why you feel money raised for the city is best to be kept in a non-interest bearing account, than providing services for the residents.
Thank you for your time to provide this important information.
I’ll set aside: spend my time “explaining” what I wrote to you, right after you explain to me why a town of less than 10k residents, a number that has not changed for the past 20 years, and that has a tourist visitor number that also has not changed over that period of time, had a budget that has increased approximately 400% over the past 6-7 years.Also, please “explain” your opinion that money collected in taxes would have to sit in “non-interest bearing accounts “.-Daniel J Sulluvan MD,JD
@ Doc
I dont have lots of time today but I will try to make things a bit clearer for you.
Sedona population 2026–9,820…Budget 1,300,000
Cottonwood population 2026 –13,354…2026 Budget $172,885,373
Sedona tourism # for 2025—–3,000,000
Cottonwood tourism 2025—- could not get any numbers
Cottonwood STR #s—-approximately 196 to 396 active
Sedona STRs #s—– approximately 1,100 to 1,700
City of Cottonwood employees—-approximately 131 people
City of Sedona employees——201.65 full-time
You look at those numbers and you can see we have far many more come to visit, than cottonwood;
Is that not a far comparison for 2 cities 20 miles apart?
@Doc
Sorry for the typo for Sedona 2025 budget—$103,291,695
The fact is the city staff has doubled in the last8 years. At the same period we have lost close to 2000 residents.45 city employees make over 100,000. The police dept. Keeps increasing in numbers. Average budget for a city the size of Sedona is around 30 Million. Sedona’s overblown budget is 100 million.There are many exemptions that fall outside the budget. All grant programs that fund non profits are exemptions to the budget. That is one of many lies the city tells to scare the people into voting for Home rule. The tax and spend home rule policies are killing our small town. Vote no on home rule and empower the people.
Amazing!!! The City Staff and PD have grown and continues to grow as the city does. You count permanent full time residents but you left out the snow bird millionaires, the 3+ million tourists who come here annually and the thousands who work here. You want to grow buildings like a stoopid amphitheater but you don’t want to take care of the people who do the work on a daily basis. Don’t like the visitors tax or home rule? Can’t wait to hear you whine and cry when you’re paying outrageous city taxes for your home and property if they are repealed. Guess some people like brown dead grass over their septic tanks rather than green grass?
Dana I call BS on your rant!
We may have lost 2000 residents, and keep getting more Air B&Bs with people in them! Do most towns with less than 10,000 people have traffic problems?
I guess you dont follow any other cities close by? Did you see Clarkdale is adding a new assistant city manager?
Check this out for city managers in the VV:
City manager and town manager salaries in the Verde Valley vary by municipality, with base annual salaries generally ranging from \(\$141,000\) to \(\$220,000\) depending on experience, benefits, and contract negotiations:
City of Sedona: City Manager Anette Spickard receives a base salary of \(\$190,000\).
City of Cottonwood: City Manager Mario Cifuentez, II earns an annual wage within the approved organizational range of \(\$146,766\) to \(\$220,149\).
Town of Camp Verde: The most recent recruitment listed the Town Manager salary range at \(\$141,587\) to \(\$205,301\)
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So I say you are out of touch!
I have done this already, I will do to prove you wrong again.
The population of Cottonwood, Arizona, in 2025 was estimated to be approximately 13,146. Demographers tracked an annual growth rate of roughly 1.6% in the city, which is up from the 2020 Census figure of 12,029
The city of Cottonwood, Arizona, is currently discussing a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget of $151,920,655. This represents a planned reduction from the FY 2026 adopted budget of $172,885,373, largely because several major capital projects, like the Main Street Rehabilitation Project, have concluded.
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So once again you are wrong and out of touch!
As for the police dept it isn’t even up to the numbers they had before the Bush crash of 2008!
It would be nice if you used facts to prove a point.
The Boogie Man has been let out of the box again. Notice no one taking responsibility for the article. It can’t be the city as it would be a violation of ARS 9-500.14 and ARS 16-192. Serious, BUT the City of Sedona did violate these statutes multiple times in 2018. Different group today, let’s hope anyway.
The July 21 vote is simply about who controls Sedona’s city budget.
FALSE. The council always controls the budget, and under AZ statute there are three funding choices:
Base – Based on an early 1980 number, some small cities still use that;
Permanent Base Adjustment – around 54% or AZ cities use that, and growing;
Home Rule – which by law must be voted on every 4 years, and IF FAILS, one of three things happen:
1. The city must use BASE, which in our case is not a good deal.
2. The city Council can put PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT on the ballot in November, and set a number approved by the Auditor General (with some exclusions) to run the city. Voters have ONE option in May of every year to pass a 1-time override for additional funds for specific projects
3. When Home Rule expires on June 30th, 2027, and the is no Permanent Base Adajustment, the Council in May can put an override on a special ballot requesting additional funds for a special project or projects.
No PANIC – NO catastrophe – sorry scare mongers.
The sky does not fall Chicken Little. But the mystery writer of this article wants you to think it will fall. That’s the plan, that’s always the plan. Tax all you can get, remember the ½ cent “temporary” sales tax we had that the council couldn’t leave their hands off it…and made permanent?
Home Rule does not create or Raise Taxes. Never has, never will. Hollow statement to scare you – when you don’t need to be scared.
Home Rule allows the city government, Staff with limitations, and Council to spend any money they have on any project they want without regard to voter input. And boy do they NOT like the thought of voter input.
What happens if Home Rule passes: Nothing. The city continues to spend money like they’re printing it ignoring public input.
What happens if Home Rule Fails: And I quote the “fear monger”
If Home Rule does not pass, Sedona must follow a state spending cap based on the 1979 budgets.
That limit would allow the city to spend about $15 million — roughly 80% less than today’s budget. The city would be able to pay some current ongoing legal debts, such as bonds, above and beyond this $15 million limit. But in the end, the current 2026 budget of around $100 million would be cut by about 70 million. Which means many ongoing infrastructure projects could, and would probably be halted.
Then we have more fear mongering about how we are going to lose Police, Transit services (which we are all but giving away – stupid), Parks and Rec – of course, City Staff…is that a problem? And community nonprofits. We must put the panic into our many nonprofits.
Home Rule is about local budget control? FALSE – Home Rule is about a runaway City Council and Staff with no oversight from the public. And THAT my friends, sends PANIC in the Halls of City Hall. Can you imagine having to justify expenditures to the public?
How about a Forest Road extension that had an estimate of $2.77 million and came in at $17.6 million. Oh, they used imminent domain to secure private property, offered below market, sued every parcel owner, and lost every suite. Paid a lot more. Just a small piece of that mess.
A bloated cost and still rising Uptown car garage, one you can build cheaper in LA. Preliminary estimates, around $11.5 million, and if we are lucky it will come in at $26 million. Don’t hold your breath. Cost per space – wait for it….$92,000. That will buy you a mobile home.
Is this what “Home Rule” buys? Apparently. How about the purchase of the Cultural Park for $20 million. $10 million cash on hand, and $10 million debt financing. And then they wanted to park homeless people in cars on it. AND it was a LAME DUCK COUNCIL that made that move. “We have to buy it so we can decide what to do with it”. The $10 million was from “affordable Housing” fund?
Shuttle buses to trail heads? FREE? Tell me where you can go ANYWHERE on the planet and get FREE transportation. They have an App mfor the shuttle, charge SOMETHING for god’s sake. Anything to recoup some dollars.
We are picking people up in shuttles for $2 or $1 and taking them wherever they want to go? And some of our busses are hybrids? More expense to buy and maintain? Even our past transit manager, Mr. Webber said this was a trial program as he went out the door. And now we are thinking about a $31 million BUS barn and service facility down by the sewer plant? These people think we are Phoenix? You NEVER get out of your wheelhouse. You hire professional companies to do this stuff, and then fire them if it doesn’t work. We build monuments at city hall and we keep buying more buildings for more city hall even though we are not growning.
The list is a lot longer – Too much money, too much ideology, and too much incompetence.
We spend millions on roads that don’t fix anything. Makes traffic worse. Who oversees THOSE decisions? How about a $840,000 culvert on Back O Beyond Road that 1) was not needed, and 2 did not help the residents at all on Back O Beyond Circle. Or concrete paths to nowhere, let’s pave everything. The city even put in a concrete walk path for HIKERS from the NFS lot on 179 to United Methodist Church – these are people WALKING to a HIKING TRAIL!
This year’s rundown of city staff’s salaries shows a total of forty-five regular city staff—twenty two percent of the total—having ascended to the $100,000-plus salary circle, up from 28 last year. From $209,000 to $100,000. Up 25% from last year. Nice raise if you can get it – Medium income in Sedona is $73,000. 26 city employees between $80K and $100K.
Medium income in the Verde Valley in 2023 is $35K, minimum wage in AZ is $31,500.
In 2018, the average for the previous 5 years expenditure in Sedona was $38.5 million, budget was $49.5 Million. Population went from 10,300 in 2000 down to 9700, number of tourists stayed the same from the mid 2000s. Current budget is $103 million. Wow.
Let’s compare – Palm Desert, California, BIG tourist town – just like Sedona
Budget, $109 million, 55,000 residents. (I think 55,000 is bigger than 9,700)
Out of that budget comes $28 million for contract law enforcement – from county
Out of the budget comes $24 million for country fire (We pay EXTRA for that in Sedona)
121 Employees (does not include police) $20.3 million salary and Benefits (excluding police)
The City of Palm Desert maintains nearly 172 miles of public roadways, including streets, bridges, and associated infrastructure. Sedona…119 miles.
The City of Palm Desert operates more than 12 parks, offering over 200 acres of parkland for residents and visitors. These facilities, managed by the City of Palm Desert Parks and Recreation Department, also include two community centers, an aquatic center, and over 25 miles of multi-purpose trails.
We have an election coming up, 4 NEW candidates for council and 1 new candidate for Mayor. When the city council bought the Cultural Park for $20 million, they did it between the time 3 new councilors were elected and before they were seated. YOU – the voter voted for a change. And that VOTE was stolen from you by an outgoing council.
Are you going to let that happen again? If you want changes vote for a new council and let the new council manage the city with input from the people. A NO on Home Rule does not cripple the city. Council can go for the override in MAY – NOTHING CHANGES, but THE VOTERS get a say, and the council must explain what they need the money for.
RED Alert – THE CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL ARE BEING COACHED RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE THE STATEMENTS, THAT YOU KEEP HOME RULE BY CREATING A CRISIS IN THE MINDS OF THE VOTERS. It happens every 4 years. You like being manipulated?
There is NO crisis – if you hear that, you are being lied to. Are you going to vote for a council and staff that creates a fake crisis so they can continue spending money like we have witnessed?
You build a road – you get a turnkey bid. You build a parking garage; you get a turnkey bid. It is up to the contractor to know what the hell they are doing, or you don’t issue the bids.
Our city government is too big, out of control, and every one of us sees it every time we go out of our houses or apartments.
Oh yes – more details to come. NO on HOME RULE – it is NOT the end of Sedona – it is the rebirth of common sense and efficient management.
What happens if Home Rule doesn’t pass? Many of Sedona’s non profits will fold and be unable to provide free or cheap services. That’s what will happen if greedy people who only care about their own financial benefit get their way.
How is it that no one has a problem with the Council using budget funds to shove their propaganda on Home Rule down our throats?
It begs the question – who paid this mystery organization to post a slanted “advertorial”?
The only Propaganda in this thread comes from you and your palies mate!
“RED Alert – THE CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL ARE BEING COACHED RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE THE STATEMENTS, THAT YOU KEEP HOME RULE BY CREATING A CRISIS IN THE MINDS OF THE VOTERS. It happens every 4 years. You like being manipulated?”
Present your your so called statements. Who is coaching who to say what exactly?
I know you will never present this information because it does not exist.
Just a reminder to all, Mike thinks he knows everything. He sure dosent know government or construction! Government must take lowest bid, thats why there are always extras. You bid to get your foot in the door, been that way forever! But if you were never in construction you wouldnt know that.
I swear they made those rules to intentionally make government look bad?
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Arizona law requires local governments to award competitive contracts to the ”
lowest responsible and responsive bidder” based on requirements set forth in the invitation for bids. This ensures fairness and fiscal responsibility, often requiring competitive sealed bidding for projects exceeding specific monetary thresholds (usually $100,000 for many public projects)
41-2533. Competitive sealed bidding
So how much of the budget goes to organizations that benefit just a few? Let’s take the Sedona Art Center which is supposed to be a non-profit and has been mismanaged for years. Would have folded except for the outrageous amount of money it gets from the city every year. Sad state for us all.
There are far more important non profits that depend upon the funding than the Sedona Art Center There’s Meals on Wheels, The Sedona Food Banks, Humane Society, Verde Valley Search and Rescue and many others.
Jill,
Most of Sedona non-profits funding wouldn’t be controlled or limited by home rule as grants and pass-through funds are added to the budget and is referred to as FREE money! THERE IS NO REDUCUTION without home rule.
This is outlined in the city document link:
https://www.sedonaaz.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/55636/639095343672670000
Lets go down your list:
Meals on Wheels would still be funded,
The Sedona Food Banks doesn’t receive any Sedona-city funded> https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/sedona-food-bank,860922917/
Humane Society, is required by State law to be paid for the animals they removed from the streets, This is a service contract.
Verde Valley Search and Rescue doesn’t receive City funding they work with the sheriffs Yavapai county. https://verdesar.org/who-we-are
Verde Search and Rescue is NOT paid for by Yavapai County Sheriff’s nor even Yavapai County! They are a volunteer organization that buys their own uniforms and equipment and rely most heavily upon donations to keep the organization going and community safe. If you ever happen to see them in their uniforms you will note that their patches say “Yavapai County Sheriff Search and Rescue VOLUNTEER” not Sheriff not Deputy Sheriff! They are VOLUNTEERS just like the people working the Food Banks, Meals on Wheels and most of the Humane Society staff.
You really ought to research the nonsense you are trying to sell before putting it out on public display for all to see.
And how much of “your” money was spent on the Arts Center?
The real question is how much goes to the non profits that support the many rather than the few such as Meals on Wheels, the Food Bank, Humane Society etc.???
Wow Saraq you managed to name one and only one but there are literally dozens of non profits here. Most support the entire community some only a select few. But you cannot like Donna does group them all together and claim they’re all the same. Because that is simply the furthest thing from the truth. You obviously have an issue with the Art Center receiving funding? Perhaps they get funding because tourist and residents use it to learn about Sedona? So using tourism taxes to fund it would make a lot of sense just as funding local businesses that help draw tourism and tourists monies to our tiny mountain town (which hopefully remains a small mountain town despite the desire to destroy it with more resorts and a waste of time and money amphitheater when our city has full time employees living in their cars or in tents until they get run out of town by law enforcement).
How is it that no one has a problem with the Council using budget funds to shove their propaganda on Home Rule down our throats?
It begs the question – who paid this mystery organization to post a slanted “advertorial”?
“The Sedona City Council unanimously approved a resolution during its meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27, calling for the 2026 election…
As part of the agenda item, the council also approved “a potential proposal to extend the Alternative Expenditure Limitation/Home Rule,” and a $650 advertising budget related to the election.”
https://www.redrocknews.com/2026/02/03/home-rule-up-for-renewal-in-sedona-in-2026/
Mike S., simple question:
Would Sedona residents be better off not passing Home Rule and cutting the budget by $60 million?
Simple answer: NO.
Here’s why:
By law, Sedona already operates with a budget—and consistently underspends it.
The city has over $90 million in the bank (not counting restricted reserves), enough to fund next year’s operations.
Sedona runs one of the most conservative, well-managed budgets in the state and has been recognized for it.
Much of the opposition comes from the same anti-government, no-tax crowd aligned with figures like Joe Donald Trump—bringing national politics into a local issue.
It’s hard to take seriously complaints about city services from people who, at the same time, want those same services expanded right outside their own neighborhoods.
If Home Rule fails, the city will still collect taxes—but much of that money could sit unused in escrow rather than benefit residents.
So the real question is: How does tying up city funds improve life in Sedona?
Let’s keep this focused on what works for Sedona—not national politics.
The amount of fear mongering on this thread is quite sad.
The simple truth is that this City Council has drifted away from residents, and forcing them back under the state limit, even if temporarily, is the only way to restore accountability and require broader public buy in for major priorities.
And incidentally, I’m not against spending. I’m against the City making big decisions without meaningful resident input. Letting Home Rule lapse for one cycle forces the City to come back to voters for overrides or a Permanent Base Adjustment. That means they have to justify priorities instead of assuming automatic approval.
This isn’t about punishing the City. It’s about recalibrating the relationship between the City and the people who live here. A one year reset forces transparency, forces prioritization, and forces the City to seek voter approval for big-ticket items. That’s healthy. And brings a more meaningful democracy.
And if the City’s priorities are truly aligned with residents, overrides will pass easily. If they’re not, then it’s good we have a conversation.
When the majority votes for home rule and affordable housing you’ll be blaming the majority. Right now it’s the City but you’ll continue to blame anyone you can for not getting what you and a tiny handful of others desire.
“Letting Home Rule lapse for one cycle forces the City to come back to voters for overrides or a Permanent Base Adjustment. That means they have to justify priorities instead of assuming automatic approval”
Nah-letting it lapse just gives your preferred candidate an in to eliminate Home Rule without the majority vote you claim to be oh so important. I’m all for majority vote ruling but for every candidate and proposal for one set of city leaders while denying it to those you take issue with which is precisely why you’re making such a stink now!
But by all means let’s make majority voting the rule rather than the exception and let’s especially abolish the electoral college and other methods of cheating the vote.