You are funny ……. Who is the “us” you are referring to?

Numbers are the truth, I never speak without the facts, You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see the truth.

During your posting you seem to have a lot more opinions then fact yet you accuse us.

According to the chamber and city council tourism pays the bills. Locals don’t matter. With the in-city businesses paying for regional marketing without any return on their contribution. They collect higher sales tax for the city. Which increasing their administration overhead. The have to reduce their profits by decreasing their cost of goods in some sectors to compete with those outside the city limits. They pay sales tax on rents, all deliveries supplies not for resale, signage, sales tax and franchise fees for utilities. They employ locals and are vested by the capital improvements they install. If they sell those businesses then the city of Sedona also gets a sales tax on those improvements.

The cost of doing business in the city limits is high. So why wouldn’t the cost of their product and services be higher?

The unit of measure is not how any person can judge or uninformed make assessments but by analytically neutrally and fairly reviewing the elements of facts like most city do. Rogue evaluations are not facts.

Most Cities do not fund the region and most cities assess things in a logical fashion. Assess demand, inventory – supply (vacancies ). You can only do this with real numbers. How many vacant storefronts are there? What is the landlords charging the tenants? What additional garbage fees are the businesses being charge (ie licenses, permits) What is the general overhead cost? Employees are another big factor. Cities also use this to measure their own competition, comparisons.

So we can’t judge unless you have personal information you simply don’t know. How can you say overpriced when these businesses are paying more than a business in cottonwood or voc? You can’t.

The presentation on Economic Development by Larry Harmer was very clear. What is the city business retention? When you look at the lodging sector what is the in-city hotel occupancy rate? By month, day of week. That is the type of information we should be looking at. Hiring and layoffs for the busy seasons also impacts us all and drives cost up. VOC vs Sedona City is a relevant comparison.

You don’t know. Please stop making judgements and assessments on items that you are not educated or fully informed on. What makes you think that doing business within the city limits is sustainable anymore? You don’t have the facts to make those statements.

Also karma cafe…..even the name is a joke (caters to tourists plus nothing last for long at that location
The Mexican by Bashas ……the quality of food has gone way down over the years….wow another surprise

The notice includes but isn’t limited to: “We are closing our doors forever.” Also indicating “This sale is initiated only after careful consideration.”

While having lunch at a Sedona restaurant today (9/13) there was even more alarming news about yet another uptown shop intending to close. As this information has not been confirmed, I will withhold the name of the business. Two alleged reasons were cited: (1) Extreme drop in sales; (2) Installation of parking meters. Reiterating, this has not been confirmed but was related by a reliable source.

Is this indicative of the factual return on the multi-million dollar investment the city made with the Chamber of Commerce? Shame.

Eddie Maddock

Hoping that SB1487 will stop this insane city.

@ ATTN SEDONA BUSINESSES where did you hear about the Blue Eye Bear? Was it posted somewhere?

Now then, on the City Council Agenda meeting Tuesday 9/13, of the 17 Consent Items to be approved, three relate to “Remote Tasting Room LIcenses”, two specified for Odyssey Cellars and one for Javelina Leap Vineyards & Winery.

Four are specified for “Special Event Liquor LIcenses” for the following: (1) “Canned Sedona and 2 Wine Festival Licenses for Alcantara, LLC and Javelina Leap Estate Vineyard for a fundraising event,” (2) “Special Event Liquor for Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks,” (3) “Special Event Liquor License for Red Earth Theatre exhibition and live performance,” (4) “Special Event Liquor LIcense for the Sedona Chamber of Commerce” for an upcoming event.

Therefore, seven out of seventeen slam-dunk decisions relate to serving alcohol without charging Sedona city tax. Is that not a direct slap in the face to Sedona’s legitimate tax collecting businesses, struggling to keep their doors open? Did the new director of economic development the city recently hired recommend and/or approve this? Which business will be the next to vacate? And how much tax revenue is the State of Arizona losing on this yet another Sedona give-away?

SB 1487, ARE YOU ALIVE, WELL, AND SERIOUS?

Respectfully,
Eddie S. Maddock