Tommy Acosta

Sedona AZ (February 4, 2009) – Report and Analysis By Tommy Acosta for the Sedona Times Newspaper and SedonaTimes.com 

In that the other media outlets in Sedona, by this issue’s printing, have already reported on the January 27 Council meeting where the Mayor’s Advisory Committees were discussed and given a reprieve – pending staff recommendations and full council review on their continued existence, we are going to look at the story from a different perspective – that of the influence of politics in the current decisions of the council.

Councilmember Nancy Scagnelli brought the issue before the council on whether advisory committees appointed by Sedona Mayor Rob Adams set a dangerous precedent for the future by steering the city’s form of government from that of a council/manager form of government to that of a strong mayor.

“This is not about politics or who sits on the mayor’s seat,” she said in her opening remarks. “It’s about government and council/manager form of government.”

Fred Johnson, a member of the Mayor’s Environmental Committee, during public testimony, contradicted her statement. “It is pretty obvious there is a power struggle going on here, in my mind or to any reasonable person,” he said.

Councilmember Scagnelli argued the council needed “clear up” the procedure in forming such committees, stating the committees were formed by the mayor and that its members were chosen and appointed by the mayor without council approval.

“You thumbed your nose and went ahead and formed the committees,” she said to the mayor. She also stated such committees were costing the city money. “I’m also concerned about staff workload and duplication of effort,” she said.

Three other council members echoed her concern.

“It takes away from council commissions and task forces,” Councilman Dan Surber said. “It’s pulling staff time away.”

“It duplicates effort,” said Councilman Marc Sterling. “The committees are not working the way they should.”

“This is not to be taken lightly,” said Councilmember Pud Colquitt, a former mayor. “There is staff time and money to consider. The mayor does not have a budget.”

Councilman Cliff Hamilton said the cost and time were worth it in benefit to the city. “We are forgetting the incredible value these committees bring to the staff and the city,” he said. “People are bringing in years of considerable experience. We talk about people being apathetic. These committees provide opportunity for people to take ownership of the city.”

Vice Mayor John Bradshaw agreed there were highly qualified people serving on those committees but insisted there must be proper procedures set up.

“I don’t want to set up any council committees for failure,” he said. “Committees need to come to the council for approval from this day forward.”

Mayor Adams said his committees were legal and should remain in place. “Before I set up the committees I wanted to make sure they were not illegal,” he said. ‘I spoke to counsel and received approval.”

City Attorney Mike Goimarac admitted he had ruled the committees legal but Councilwoman Scagnelli still protested. “It’s not so much if a committee is legal or not, it is about setting precedent.”

With the mayor and Councilman Cliff Hamilton firmly on the side of the committees, counselors Scagnelli, Colquitt, Surber and Sterling questioning their value and Vice Mayor Bradshaw in the middle, citizens and committee members pleaded to continue serving the city.

“To discontinue any committee is an insult to those who volunteered so many hours of service,” said former Sedona mayor Dick Ellis. “If the council does not support these committees be prepared to be called dysfunctional.”

“The hallmark of an effective leader is to surround themselves with people smarter than themselves,” Mayor’s Economic Committee member J. Rick Normand said.

“We need new ideas,” said city resident Marlene Raynor. “The city has a treasure trove of successful people on these committees, more successful than the people on this council.”

One citizen sided with the Councilwoman Scagnelli. “Such public expenditures are not authorized,” Sedona resident Warren Woodward said. “As such, the mayor’s committees are illegal.”

Despite the pleads of the committee members to continue serving, Councilwoman Scagnelli made a motion, seconded by Councilwoman Colquitt, to freeze the current-mayor advisory committees and set up procedures on formalizing committees in the future.

Vice Mayor Bradshaw suggested her motion be split into two parts. She agreed and when she motioned for new procedures and a review of existing committees be set up at a later date in March, which was approved by council 7-0, it opened the door for Councilman Hamilton to motion to keep the existing-mayor advisory committees in place till then.

After much debate, including the mayor stating if the committees were disbanded before a review takes place that “I will not be thinking of being mayor anymore. I want to make that clear to the council,” Vice Mayor Bradshaw amended the motion to allow the committees to remain operational until a review of all existing committees in March.

The motion passed 5-2, much to the relief of the standing-room-only crowd present at the meeting, with counselors Scagnelli and Colquitt voting against it.

Editorial Analysis

Clearly, the mayor setting up the committees in the first place puts a feather in his cap because he keeps a campaign promise to involve the public in government; and by choosing powerful, intelligent and successful people to serve on these committees he ensures solid support for his next election from those his committee member influence.

Further, he builds a base in city government while sitting on a council dominated by a 5-2 majority on issues of major import to those who elected him.

Even though he has the legal right to do so, it becomes vitally important for the leadership of the 5-2 council majority to diminish the increased-mayoral influence as they prepare to eliminate the possibility of a National Scenic Area designation for Sedona and build an alternate route at Red Rock Crossing.

The last thing they want is a strong mayor in the way.

That is why counselors Scagnelli and Colquitt had to try their best to stop the mayor and his committees. It was not just about setting precedent, establishing procedures and council approval/oversight of committees.

It was about too much power in the mayor’s hands.

Also, these advisory committees are populated by seasoned professionals, especially on the mayor’s Budget Committee, who will produce a candid and comprehensive report that could prove embarrassing to city stewards who failed to see the economic tsunami coming while in office all these years.

Until the bitter end of the meeting, counselors Scagnelli and Colquitt fought to freeze the advisory committees and render them ineffective, as well as deal the mayor another crushing blow that could have ended in his resignation as mayor as well as the resignation of Counselor Hamilton, another cog in the way of their plans on NSA, lights for 89A and an alternate route.

Had it not been for Councilwoman Scagnelli making the mistake of allowing her motion to be cut in half, the council most likely would have voted 5-2, or 4-3, to support her.

What was surprising were counselors Surber and Sterling voting to allow the committees to remain functional, a vote surely not anticipated by counselors Scagnelli and Colquitt — as well as this writer.

Of course, being in the majority in the last vote, either counselor Surber or Sterling could be admonished into calling for a reconsideration of the vote, as Councilman Surber did back when the council voted to accept the initial 89A Safety Committee recommendation that did not include strip lighting.

By far, this fight is not over.

Are politics affecting city government?

Mayor Adams seems to think so. “Personally, I feel it is political,” he said.

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