You don’t know what you’re talking about. If you check your facts, you will find “only $5K” is incorrect.

Although the Yavapai Big Brothers & Big Sisters had originally asked for $10,000 they received less. On Sept 8, 2015, the City Council voted 7 to 0 to approve the amount of $8,000. Since it got funded from General Fund Contingency money, the $8,000 amount was in addition to the $150,000 granted to the other beggar groups on July 28, 2015 under the City’s Small Grants Program for FY 2015-2016. STAFF: Karen Daines.

BTW, I read my scribbly notes incorrectly and picked up the amount originally requested ($10,000) vice the amount received on Sept 8 ($8,000). I thought General Fund Contingency dollars were for future emergencies.

Please check your facts, I believe that Big Bro’s at first received nothing and then only $5k. You must feel that you HAVE to look like you know what youre talking about, all of the time. Opp’s

For the unaware, the Final Budget Public Hearing for this year was held on June 23, 2015, but the proposed FY 2015-16 Annual Budget Document was missing. The City Council voted 6 to 0 for adoption anyway–to include the ? budget attachments.

The adopted 2015-16 Annual Budget Document was eventually prepared and posted on the Finance Dept’s web pages on or about October 29, 2015. Is this the “exemplary municipal service” the mission statement the City of Sedona government claims?

Of the approximately $2.5 Million in handouts, the Chamber of Commerce received $1.5 Million of scarce taxpayer dollars. Some out-of-town recipients:

Hummingbird Society (VOC): $6,000
Northern Arizona Restorative Justice: $6,000
NAU Philosophy in the Public Interest: $5,000
Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition: $8,000
Verde Valley Sanctuary: $5,000
Yavapai Big Brothers & Sisters: $10,000
ETC.

According to Citizen Engagement Coordinator Lauren Browne, the appointed work group consisted of Stephanie Giesbrect, Chair; Laura Levy-Mauer, Vice Chair; Connie Levinson; Larry Lineberry; and Jane McGraw.

This is an abuse of power. The City of Sedona is a City Manager form of government. The Mayor cannot refuse Public Input. An affirmative vote of the Council is required to do this.

I am NOT a participant in any T party. This is NOT about anti-fed government – this is about people with HUGE egos trying to appointment themselves local dictator of Verde Valley! THIS is NOT a democratic process – and in NO way does it reflect the needs or wants of 80% of the Verde Valley population.

It’s that simple.

The top 10 reasons we oppose the Sedona Verde Valley Red Rock National Monument designation:

1. National monument designations attract additional visitors and Sedona is already saturated with more visitors than roads can handle, especially Highway #179 and Oak Creek Canyon.

2. Increased use of roads, sewer, lack of parking, and traffic in residential neighborhoods will mean more maintenance costs. The federal government is not going to help out with these kinds of expenses. They are on private land.

3. This is not a legitimate public process and ‘Keep Sedona Beautiful’ has no authority to run a public process on management of federal lands.

4. KSB is attempting to fast track their proclamation past the Verde Valley/Sedona Community delivering it directly to the President’s desk hoping it will be included in the end-of-term New Monuments.

5. The public does not have enough information to make an informed decision. Our community needs more than a few short weeks to study the UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.

6. Within the proposed boundaries all cities and towns will become private inholdings. What are the consequences to over 16,000 residents?

7. What will be the impact to the 80,000 residents of the Sedona/Verde Valley? The NM designation could cause property values to rise and bring added costs which may push families out of the area.

8. Federal reserved water rights (obtained by designating NM) are immune from state water laws. In order to retain our water rights, that has to be put into the management plan, which we know takes about three years and several thousand dollars to implement. Some of the head waters that form the Oak Creek, Beaver Creek, and Verde River are all on this monument land.

9. Competing with all other National Monuments for possible available funds and grants is not a sound plan. That is the money source KSB is depending on to bring in the revenue that gated entrances generally do for National Monuments. The last few National Monuments have not received any funding.

10. The proposed monument will control EVERY access point IN and OUT of Sedona.