SedonaEye.com columnist Eddie S. Maddock on Sedona city employees salary and additional compensation packages budgeted for 2024.

Sedona AZ – WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2024?

Boldly and sincerely stated in a video at the opening of City Council meetings is Sedona’s Vision:

“To be a city that is constantly vigilant over the preservation of its natural beauty, scenic vistas, pristine environment and cultural heritage. To be a city that retains its small-town character and creates its manmade improvements in strict harmony with nature. To be a city that is animated by the arts, and lives with a spirit of volunteerism to help achieve our common goals. To be a city that offers equal opportunities for all and fosters a sense of community. To be a city that welcomes and accommodates all of its visitors and future residents with a spirit of fellowship. To be a city that retains and enhances a strong and vital economy which preserves existing lifestyles without exploiting the natural beauty. To be a city that lives up to the challenge of proper stewardship of one of the earth’s great treasures.”

Before proceeding with what may or may not be a surprise to Sedona residents via a Freedom of Information Act, “Douglas Ducey in 2021 was employed in Arizona Governor’s Office and had annual salary of $95,000 according to public records. This salary is 20% higher than average and 36% higher than median salary in Arizona Governor’s Office.” (Phoenix has a population of 1.6 million and pays its City Manager $314,999 annually.)

With the city of Sedona gearing up to prepare its fiscal year 2024 budget, a review of the 2023 budget shows that average budgeted compensation for a city employee is presently $106,174. (Population of Sedona is 9,684 – a decrease from previous years.)

Here is what we pay Sedona city employees:

City Manager Karen Osburn: $183,000. (No change from 2022.)

Deputy City Manager Joanne Keene: $161,850. (A 7.9% increase from 2022.)

City Attorney Kurt Christianson: $155,235. (A 7% increase from 2022.)

Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works J. Andy Dickey: $155,147. (A 7% increase from 2022.)

Director of Financial Services Cherie White: $153,422. (An 8.4% increase from 2022.)

Chief of Police Stephanie Foley: $135,200. (Foley replaced Charles Husted, who retired last fall; the chief position’s salary is an overall 2% decrease from 2022.)

Magistrate Judge Paul Schlegel: $125,008. (No change from 2022.)

Director of Community Development Steve Mertes: $125,000. (No change from 2022.)

Criminal Prosecutor William Kunisch: $120,443. (An 8% increase from 2022.)

Director of Wastewater Roxanne Holland: $119,061. (A 9.6% increase from 2022.)

Information Technology Manager Chuck Hardy: $117,830. (A 6.8% increase from 2022.)

Assistant Director of Public Works Sandra Phillips: $114,660. (A 4% increase from 2022.)

Human Resources Manager Brenda Tammarine: $114,354. (A 7.6% increase from 2022.)

Transit Administrator Robert Weber: $110,850. (A 10.9% increase from 2022.)

Engineering Supervisor Kurtis Harris: $103,000. (Position vacant in 2022.)

Police Lts. Karl Waak and Scott Martin: $103,000. (A 13.2% increase from 2022. Martin is a new hire, replacing the retiring Sgt. Michael Dominguez.)

Network Engineer, unspecified staff: $102,615. (A 5.6% increase from 2022.)

System Administrator, unspecified staff: $102,614. (A 5.6% increase from 2022.)

GIS Analyst, unspecified staff: $102,014. (A 5% increase from 2022.)

Additional benefits over and above wages include, but are not limited to health, dental, and vision insurance coverage plus countless hours of paid time-off; as offered in ads seeking even more City of Sedona employees.

And this, dear readers, is active even during the uncertainty of a predicted economic recession next year.

Impressive? 

Suggestion: Reread the “Vision Statement” and then decide.