Authored By Councilor Pud Colquitt: This being the last article I will write for the City I am going to take a few liberties. For the past 9 years I have had the pleasure of serving the City. For 3 years I served on the Planning and Zoning Commission, which was a position I truly enjoyed and with the aid of a great staff, I gained knowledge about the process of how this community developed. I served almost 4 years as Mayor, a position that I had never considered but found to be very gratifying. I grew as an individual and found strengths I had not used for many years. Finally, serving the last 2 years on City Council has been quite a unique experience.
A few facts: the City of Sedona was incorporated twenty-two years ago in 1988. The City is located in two very large counties, Yavapai and Coconino. Upon incorporation we inherited an aging infrastructure and zoning that had the potential of creating nothing more than a commercial strip consisting of hotels, motels and fast food restaurants. This dated infrastructure is still with us and although it is not as interesting to solve as the Uptown Sedona project or the State Route 179 project, it must be addressed. We have drainage issues, need sidewalks in some areas, and must maintain our streets. Many of us moved from cities that had been incorporated for 50 or even 100 plus years and we may not understand that for an incorporated city, Sedona is a mere child and those of us who call her home will be responsible for her maturing. We need to understand the history of Sedona. It did not begin when we came here. It actually goes back to1902 and is a wonderful and colorful history.
Another fact – we do not pay a Sedona property tax. Property owners do pay county property taxes so when we state that “we are taxpayers”; realize just where that money is going. It does not come to Sedona but instead goes to a very large county, which in turn serves that entire county. The little shops, hotels, motels and B&B’s in Uptown and West Sedona have for the most part been paying our bills for 22 years.
I want to mention the issue of the sewer. Sedona did not seek out or go looking to develop a sewer system. By the way, were you on a sewer system where you came from? This should be another history lesson.
Just a note about legacies – a word I keep hearing. Joe Beeler left a legacy. The Garland family has left a legacy. Ever wonder why State Route 89A from the “Y” is named the Si Birch Highway? There are more but we all should recognize these names. They gave to this community and expected nothing in return. They all had one thing in common – humility.
Finally, the City of Sedona is not broke. She is not mismanaged. Those statements are irresponsible misrepresentations, falsehoods and unbelievably stupid. Past leadership and staff deserves much better.
