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Sandy Moriarty, Candidate for Sedona Mayor

Sandy Moriarty, Candidate for Sedona Mayor

Sandy Moriarty, Candidate for Sedona Mayor

Sedona AZ (August 3, 2014) – I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, where I graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Economics. I moved to Sedona in January of 1972, when Sedona was a town of about 4,000, unincorporated, and split between two counties. I worked for the local branch of the Phoenix CPA firm, Walker & Armstrong LLP, for 31 years, and I am now a self-employed accountant.

Soon after coming to Sedona, I became involved in getting Sedona incorporated. Sedona was already growing and I thought we needed to make our own decisions, rather than have Flagstaff or Prescott control our future. Incorporating Sedona was not an easy task, as state legislation had to be passed to allow us to incorporate across county lines. Voters finally approved incorporation in a December 1987 election, and in January of 1988, the City of Sedona became a reality.

I am proud to have been a member of the first appointed City Council. Meetings were quite different in those days, with no staff, no ordinances and no City Hall. By the time we turned things over to the first elected Council five months later, we had a City Clerk, a City Manager, a Police Chief, a sales tax and bed tax, a City Hall and a well-operating city government.

I have always followed City government in Sedona and over the years have volunteered for a variety of organizations and activities, including AYSO (youth soccer), Good Morning Sedona, Southwest Public Recycling Association, and the Verde Valley Wine Consortium. I’ve found volunteering to be educational and rewarding, and I always get back more than I give. My philosophy is that if you want to see something happen, be a part of making it happen. Sedona is fortunate to have a robust and dedicated cadre of volunteers.

I am especially proud of being one of the “founders” of the City of Sedona, one of the founders of Sedona Recycles, and, a founder of Sedona Winefest which has become one of Sedona’s signature events. All of these were accomplished by working with many other dedicated, wonderful people who shared my goals. That is one of the most important skills I bring to my candidacy for Mayor. I will continue to work with others, including the other members of the City Council, to keep Sedona on the path to excellence.

Please visit my website MayorSandy.com to learn more about my concerns and priorities I will take into office as Mayor.

In brief, I am committed to:

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  • Protecting Sedona’s natural beauty,
  •  Keeping a watchful eye on the City budget and ensuring fiscal responsibility,
  • Finding solutions to our growing traffic congestion in all areas of Sedona,
  • Using technology to enhance our quality of life and citizen involvement,
  • Keeping tourism vibrant while diversifying our economy with thoughtful economic development in areas such as health care & technology
  • Expanding and improving our educational opportunities for students of all ages, and
  • Planning for the future​ by embracing our newly adopted Community Plan to manage growth and enhance our sense of community.
  • Please remember to vote on Tuesday, August 26.

Thank You.

Sandra J. “Sandy” Moriarty

  • For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

    For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

16 Comments

  1. Disappointed says:

    My question to you, Sandy, is why would you align yourself with this guy Steve Segner? Apparently he doesn’t seem to use very good judgement and in my opinion is not very articulate and his spelling is like that of a 3rd grader. In his desparate attempt to get you elected he didn’t help your cause one bit and I guess he doesn’t even know that emails are open for public scrutiny. He sounded rather vicious and desparate in his attempt to want to discredit Cliff. I believe the public has had enough dirty politics on the National scene and with all of this in mind I’m here to tell you that I am sending my vote to Cliff because I don’t trust you. I make no apologies.
    Good luck.

  2. where do you stand on expanding public transportation to VOC and sidewalk improvement for safe walking?

    Really do we want to encourage newcomers to put yet another individual vehicle on the road to add to the congestion and pollution as their only choice . Would a public and communal approach transportation encourage sharing of the transportation space and leave the natural beauty untouched while expanding the tax base through population growth. What can the city do to support its citizens to reduce their carbon foot print and meet the needs of both the young and the old

  3. “I” “I” “I” …. “ME” ” ME” “ME”! How profound!

    Have to laugh. O’Donnell really is the smart one! More coverage than all of them simply by starting the ball rolling and posting one comment.

  4. George says:

    So Sandy Moriarty is one of the reasons for Sedona’s incorporation.
    Enough said.

  5. I can’t vote for her, hard to vote for any of them. I’ll support Cliff Hamilton because he’s been on council and 2) did a decent job with no drama biz. He also left when he wanted. No power hunger there. OK by me then.

  6. Just Sayin' says:

    @ Damage Control

    Of course O’Donnell was the first to post on SE, it’s free and he has no supporters that would help by giving him a few bucks. It’s admirable that he jumped right into the lions den of SE, considering his only platform is Smart Meters, he’s been unable to stay afloat at any of the forums. Check him out on that other web site.

  7. DH says:

    Easy to throw stones. O’Donnell is a nice man, not paid off or controlled by SIGs. He knows the difference between a balance budget and being fiscally responsible. He’ll do a great job.

    Back to post.

    Is Sand going to answer the questions here?

    If so, I have a few.

    In regards to your personal interest groups such as your accounting firm, chamber, wine fest, how will you separate yourself from them in order to make sound decisions for the benefit of the Sedona City District?

    Since you are a self-employed accountant will you disclose your Client list to ensure integrity? If one of your clients wants something from the City how will you handle that?

  8. SJ says:

    I support Sandy. Thank you.

  9. Fact Finder says:

    Check out Ordinance 2010-06 that Cliff Hamilton and Jerry Frey both voted for when previously seated Councilmembers. This ordinance eliminated the 1998 requirement that one-half of all sales taxes collected by the city be used solely for non-sewer capital improvement projects (i.e., drainage, streets, sidewalks, etc.). Also hatched at the Feb. 9, 2010 City Council Meeting: The decision to retain six months of sales tax collections–$864,743 to be distributed to the Capital Fund–in the General Fund budget.

    No one should be surprised when budget crunch time comes. Capital Fund Reserves are being wiped out and not replenished, yet City sales tax collections are on the increase. General Fund monies are being frittered away on non-essential projects, a bloated City staff, and subsidies to the Chamber ($1.2M) and other greedy non-profits.

    The current-year budget reveals there will be no reserves left to fund non-WW capital projects by FY 2017-2018. Page 1-8 states: “In order to continue to address capital infrastructure improvements and pursue new capital outlay projects beyond 2017, other funding sources and/or a debt financing strategy must be pursued.”

    Please, lets not vote for candidates who got us into this financial quagmire.

  10. Marty says:

    @Fact Finder Has there ever been an elected official not guilty of making unpopular decisions? It almost becomes a game of which pot is calling which kettle the blackest.

    Looking back at Sandy Moriarty’s history on the Housing Commission and the matter of Auxiliary Dwelling Units (ADU’s), between her and Jessica Williamson, at the time a city employee and now a seated council member, did you approve of passing that ordinance which was overwhelmingly opposed at public meetings?

    Thanks to Steve Segner, it’s public knowledge his Lodging Council and Chamber of Commerce back Sandy Moriarty. Therefore it appears you do as well based on the “facts” you’ve dug up on her opponent Cliff Hamilton. The information you have provided might well serve Steve Segner with his quest to dig up dirt on C. Hamilton. It was so unclear whether or not Jerry Frye was still in the race (apparently he is) but is there any doubt he is also one on the Sandy/Chamber/Lodging Council Team? Very interesting tie-in with Hamilton and Frye? Weird!

  11. Mike says:

    My question for Sandy and Cliff is “what’s the difference between you two?” How about answering some questions here or lose my vote?

    I talked to 4 people in New Frontiers today and nobody planned to vote. They think everybody is an idiot. One prominent businessman said he heard Lefevre speak and she was all slick and no solutions.Tell her to look for Jeremy because he made a shopper laugh at his impression of her idea to make make us like traffic and not mind sitting in it. Sorry you missed it but it cost her votes. It should have. Next!

    Nobody but one shopping went to a home event. Candidate name I forget. She helped a friend with clean up. Turns out four people were there for wine and snacks. She said she wasn’t registered. Didn’t know who it was running for office. There you have it.

    Sedona. Food and wine first and democracy last.

  12. Hypocrites are you all.

    You’re bitching about a personal email endorsement sent by Steve Segner of candidates that he has chosen for whatever the reason. This is his opinion to suggest to his MEMBERS who THEY may consider voting for. Even as the SLC head honcho, he has the right to endorse whoever he chooses and in the US of A, he can send that information to anyone that he so chooses.

    In the same light, the recipients of that email can choose to ignore, not agree with or run with Segners opinions.
    In case you all forget, our children are overseas fighting so that this great country of ours can have the right to FREE SPEECH. Don’t like it, that too bad.

    Is there any one person on this site who hasn’t or will not send even 1 email or call 1 friend to suggest who that person should or should not vote for? Come on all of you SedonaEye followers, raise your hands! Yah, I bet there’s not one.

    How about any one person who has received a call from a neighbor or friend asking for advice or suggestions about the campaign and give the info asked for? Anyone care to raise their hand. I don’t see any.

    For those who will find fault with my logic and I’m sure that there will be the normal cast of characters as this is SedonaEye, I don’t care if Segner is the Grand Pooh-Bah or Exalted Leader of the Lodging Council, it’s his given right.

    You all need to get a grip on life, my child was killed in a war to insure that right.
    Foreign counties are at war, people are dying of hunger puppy’s and kittens are being killed in other shelters not related to our wonderful Humane Society and THIS IS THE ONLY THING YOU CAN THINK OF TO BITCH ABOUT?

  13. Dear Cindi,

    As a Vietnam combat veteran, I have seen death front and center and my heart goes out to you and your family.

    Your son, along with other sons and daughters killed or wounded unselfishly serve their country.

    When I look at the corruption in our country, at all levels, I wonder why anyone would want to serve their country and put their life on the line …. “Patriotism” is the only word that comes to mind but at what cost and what end-result?!

    In 1967 I watched two of our soldiers slowly die in front of a North Vietnamese machine gun bunker and I often ask this question when I see where our country is today , “For what reason did they and others like them die for their country?”

    Our Armed Forces men and women have provided the opportunity for the citizens of our country voice their opinions.

    Maybe there would be more respectful and productive dialog if every person had to put on the boots of our Armed Forces men and women and get some skin-in-the-game.

    Your son has served his country and no one can take that away ….. HOO AH!

    Gary Chamberlain
    Vietnam veteran
    Cornville AZ

  14. Fact Finder says:

    @ Marv: It was an earlier City Council who passed the Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance and made it Sedona law, NOT members of the Housing Commission. As for S. Moriarty and J. Williamson being members of the now-defunct Housing Commission, the Sedona Community Development Department staff screened all applications and decided which ones to pass along to the City Council. It was Community Development’s agenda to manipulate the process in order to ensure only pro-ADU applicants received appointments to the Housing Commission.

    My opinion about Jessica Williamson is that she is a worse Councilmember than she was a Housing Commissioner, which appointment she parlayed into a job as a Sedona City Planner. As I understand it, she was fired from her City Planner position.

    In addition to my previous remarks, Hamilton also was a leader in the campaign for Sedona to take over ownership from ADOT of SR 89A; the main mover on having a wetlands component at the WWTP; etc. As a commenter to an earlier Sedona Eye column said abut the candidates running for Mayor, “Pick your poison.” And now Mike is commenting above how the 4 people he spoke with at New Frontiers on August 5th indicated “they think everybody is an idiot” and “nobody planned to vote.” No big surprise here.

  15. @ Cindi Jacobsen

    I tried, I really tried. I wanted to hear through your rant, I really really did. You need to read that guy Mike’s comment. You should.

    You lost it in the last paragraph with garbage about humane society shelters. You did. It doesn’t compute. You rant about the posters on Sedona Eye and you are one. Loving that wine?

  16. Please plan on attending the Candidates Forum at Chocolatree Garden, SR 89A, west Sedona from 4 PM until 7 PM on August 14 because it would be beneficial for us, in order to know how and what the candidates’ think about smart meters. Here are some sample questions . . . .” If the City is responsible for protecting the health and safety of its residents, would you support the forming of a citizen workgroup as part of the Citizen’s Engagement program to study the health effects and solutions to the emissions of smart meters in Sedona? . . . . or “APS has blanketed Sedona with toxic smart meters that emit dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation and that act as in-home surveillance devices. What is your stand on smart meters?” . . . . or “Doesn’t the city being an intervenor with the Arizona Corporation Commission have the right to request safer alternatives — like wired meters?” The important thing is for residents to be present and to have at least one person representing our interests in keeping Sedona smart meter free.

    Nancy Baer for Sedona Smart Meter Awareness

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