NO TO HOME RULE. Cut the free gravy train for the entire Verde Valley, questionable nonprofits and districts unaffiliated with incorporated Sedona.

It seems every action taken anymore is linked to the vast funding for the Regional Chamber. Even the recent addition of Economic Development Dept at City Hall. Most of the time that new city employee, director of that department, Spangler, it seems is spent with the Verde Valley group of which the Pres/CEO of the Regional chamber of commerce (based in Sedona) is also intricately involved.

Clearly word is out. Need money? Go to Sedona City Council. Need proof? Read how it works in the article here and elsewhere on this site. Hard to keep up. The cancer is rapidly spreading.

Never was a reason the “chamber” needed to get that 55% return on the increased half% bed tax. No Sir done deal behind closed doors right from the get go IMO.

More reasons to VOTE NO ON HOME RULE.

Maybe the one single thing that might encourage people to vote NO on HOME RULE would be an assurance it would force cancellation of the most controversial issue. . . That being the city’s contract with the chamber of commerce.

Never should have happened in the first place. It will take some real grit and persistence to reverse the process. New people on council? Maybe. Vote down Home Rule and picket city hall when cuts are made. Down With The Chamber/City Contract. PERIOD!

For example?

We are to believe that if Home Rule fails there will be no more funding for such things as the St. Pat’s Parade, yellow shirts for traffic controllers, Library, meals on wheels, Senior Center, and Historical Museum, as the list begins.

So what?

The St. Pat’s Parade existed long before Sedona incorporated. In fact, the event was promoted via national travel agencies. It was bigger and better. The entire W89A was shut down from Stutz Bear Cat to Soldier Pass Road. That’s right – SHUT DOWN! County Sheriff’s office handled traffic control and it attracted more people than the tacky event the C of C attempts to throw together every year. In fact, it was the very first Sedona Chief of Police who had the stupid idea to disallow using W89A for this annual and nationally known attraction. That’s right – happened without a City and without a City Hall.

And further, same at the St. Pat’s Parade, Sedona had a Library – alive and well. It was supported by guess who? The people. With private donations and a small financial assist from the counties, it thrived and even managed to acquire the land and build on the present location. And NO city funding.

So threaten us, you boobs. We did it before and we can to it again. Historical Museum? Same as the library. Community fund raisers and voluntary support made it happen. And the need for traffic controllers? Look to the source that created the problem. BAD PLANNERS!

Now then, it will get even better. We will be cursed with the proposal the Parks & Rec will close. Who cares? And the same as the Library, Humane Society, and other things threatened to be yanked from our daily lives, the Posse Grounds came BEFORE Sedona incorporated.

In fact, great public events were held there such as 4th of July fireworks sponsored by one of the local organization (Rotary, Lions Club, etc.) Community support, folks, and not a City Hall grab bag.

And believe it or not, even the Chamber of Commerce held a dignified position within the unincorporated community. It’s been mentioned a time or two on Sedona Eye about the grand MellerDramas those Chamber members sponsored and made corny but entertaining performances – all without city financial help.

And that also was true with the Chamber Visitors Center – yep they even managed to have a celebration when their property was paid off – burning of the mortgage event. How did they pay for that without money from a city. Because there wasn’t a city to go to?

Oh not to be overlooked, this one’s a corker.

It’s been threatened as well that Sedona will no longer be able to afford to provide a police officer at the high school! Say what?

Here we go again. What business does the City of Sedona have in providing that service anyhow? The schools are NOT part of city government. They are in the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District and NOT the city’s responsibility to provide police patrol at city expense.

Then there’s the kicker! Are you ready?

Boo, Hoo, Hoo NO MONEY for connector roads, street maintenance, and blah, blah, blah.

If the city had appropriately prioritized in the first place the roads wouldn’t be in such horrible condition and better planning could clearly have avoided such bottlenecks as the Schnebly/Tlaquaque traffic snarl.

Hope they keep up their belly-aching because they are strumming on broken violin strings. Health and Safety should have been headlined prior to all the other warm, fuzzy feel good crap for the slim minority and outsiders who actually add to the traffic heading to Sedona for the free-bees.

NO, NO, NO on HOME RULE! Buy into their CRAP and YOU are part of the problem NOT THE SOLUTION!

City police officer at the high school? No wonder at least one member on the School Board was getting ready to shift into high gear, working through the Chamber to get their helping of all that leftover pork. SHAMEFUL.

Read it again, people. Brace yourselves. Would you continue to allow a teenager the keys to your car if that youngster consistently behaved so recklessly?

What’s the difference if you continue to approve Home Rule which allows ongoing irresponsible leaders to continue on with similar behavior?

steve Segner says:
May 4, 2018 at 1:03 pm

” A great message, It says that in a group there is” power”

“Laura W says: Why is that acceptable? Didn’t’ they in fact sign contracts agreeing to the terms of their employment? What kind of message are they sending to students?”

The reason that really caught my attention is because my own comment used those exact same words and it seemed a coincidence for Laura W. to have written the same thing. However, in reading and re-reading it appears she did NOT.

Since you are such an authority on absolutely everything, Mr. Segner, and preach, preach, preach the integrity of relating facts, how about you begin with yourself? And furthermore, never in my comment (or in the one from the Laura W.) is it stated teachers sign employment contracts with the STATE!

My Goodness Mr. “S” – your purpose is well being served as an example of not practicing what you preach.

You claim to love socialism, would you like National Socialism? It has been very popular in the past.

Maybe Sedona residents need to create their own union. A NO vote on Home Rule is a vote against those “worms” who are out of control.

Yes Laurn, A great message, It says that in a group there is” power”, the state held all the power till the teacher pushed back. The state has made promises for years to in prove schools and did nothing.

Laura W says: Would’t the appropriate method be to renegotiate contracts at the time they are renewed?

The state of Arizona does not negotiate teachers contracts . There is no state teachers union that acts for the teachers, and each districts is given a set amount of money. The worm has turned and the good old days are over ….. No pay no work.