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.
Crybaby kick me not impressed – applause from the crowd
If Sedona could just manage their own territory (incorporated area) it would be a gift. Forget the rest of the country/world. Just vote when the opportunity arises.
And for the most part the city council appears to be doing that. However when the idea of bringing in the “chamber of commerce” on an issue during the last council meeting was entertained by that one particular councilman, it creeped me out.
The local Chamber of Commerce is REGIONAL! Get over trying to make them part of Sedona City Government! Give us a real gift in 2024, City Council. The are a special interest member-driven membership organization – NOT PART OF SEDONA CITY GOVERNMENT!!!
It makes my stomach turn Chamber and councilors ram through anything without a vote from less than 10K residents with less than 3K taxpaying citizen voters. No mandate for a single council to do squat IMO.
We happen to L O V E it when the Sedona City Council continues to include the Sedona Chamber of Commerce in their financial payouts.
As members of Sedona’s Chamber of Commerce, we receive more than plus sales from our continued membership dues to the SCoC. We try to track our customers – ask how they learned about us – and BINGO. Besides word of mouth, referrals come from the Chamber’s Visitors Center in Sedona! And we do NOT collect Sedna City sales tax!
Every time we read about the Visitors Center (Sedona) being City of Sedona we laugh out loud! Clearly the large sign promoting the building states it’s the visitors center for the Sedona CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Thanks to that one councilman (Furman?) who suggested taking the issues in the vicinity of Brewer Road and elsewhere up with the Sedona Chamber. (Keeps members of the club laughing all the way to the bank and Sedona taxpayers are footing the bill.)
Sweetheart deal? Sedona Santa lives year round for some of us.
Well lets take a look at our other Chambers shall we? Here is Cottonwoods and it says
Greater Cottonwood
Chamber of Commerce
https://www.cottonwoodchamberaz.org/
And how come Camp Verde’s has Hotels all over the Verde Valley?
https://campverdebiz.com/hotels
Would it be your just another loud mouth fool who has no idea how a Chamber works?…………I think you should learn to stay quiet, then thought a fool, than speak and remove all doubts!………..You people need lives and education!
Reflecting on this year, it’s clear what the Left-of-Lenin socialists agenda is for you and me.
They prioritize pronouns over the sanctity of Black Justices on the Supreme Court and Jewish students on college campuses. Men breastfeeding matter more to them than wide-open uncontrolled borders. Women’s hard earned right to have equal access under Title IX athletics matter not to them when Men want to play dress up.
Democrats HATE every Republican. They’ve been brainwashed since the 60s in colleges and universities and now they’re old and in charge and living large off of trained donkeys who they spoonfeed scraps called welfare and disability and government help checks to buy votes. They turn donkeys against elephants in the world for amusement and cover up donkeys can’t function or live without elephants intelligence and superior work skills.
Ann, I must commend you, you sure have your bigotry nailed solid. If I were you I wouldnt leave my home. God only knows what would happen to you if you actually met someone different than you. They are humans, and even worse, they are Americans. But snuggle up to your bigotry and hate, it will be fun to hear the conversation at the pearly gates!!! lol
Silence equals complicity folks, that’s why chamber goals run this city, and it’s that failure of Sedonans involvement that determines which rocks get blown up and where asphalt laid.
Sedona, Flagstaff and northern AZ school rankings by districts aren’t great. Sedona not a family friendly place.
Lmao few against ya few with ya rest don’t care
Lift the sheets off Sedona. Even CNN is now admitting that Biden’s goal is to rush the sham D.C. trial to wrongly convict former President Trump before the 2024 election. Activist unelected judges in Colorado just removed Trump from the ballot. Election interference? Count future tourist seasons goodbye.
Wow you got a lot of hate in you and quite a misguided imagination..LOL.. you must be fun at a party.. NOT
@ann If whites are successful removing black Justice Thomas, the Supreme man selected to follow black Justice Thoroughgood Marshall, all hell with break loose in black America. Democrats will do everything possible to prevent this black Republican from telling whites what they can and cannot do. Dems are racists low class thugs that have herd mentalities and need unions to keep from working fairly and endlessly boring.
@ann. Title IX got screwed by men in drag bc you don’t see women in drag winning men’s trophies. Biology will no longer be taught in schools, American education no longer exists
under the NEA system.
I love how all the “ predictions” from the enlightened complainers here never materialize… why are you say they never materialize but you do bring comic relief, however misguided, angry and racist you may be while trying not to sound that way…. LOL
@@Ann what you said isn’t bigotry & proves stupidity of commenter to label where inappropriate & they proved no point
I’m a NAU Democrat here and our family and friends withdrew donations and support for all Democratic candidates this year in Arizona, first time. Hobbs administration is huge disappointment and what she’s done to undermine us with her Arizona open border aupport is ludicrous and counters what we expressed during her campaign. She gets so much dark money from out of state she isn’t a. Oh table to state citizens and our best interests. Professors at NAU need to be redirected in classrooms that democracy isn’t about color or religious identity.
AZ Catholics better stop being soft on crime and morality from the pulpit in favor of big bucks in donations. Fellow Catholics shouldn’t be investigated by FBI in America and neither should Buddhists and Spiritualists. Beginning of far left ideology and extremism is evident here in Sedona and it’s frightening when it’s ok to be attacked in our homes and businesses.
Mr. Ted, Sedona has very fine private schools and a few offer free tuition, please consider those Sedona schools before washing with same brush the public school. Have a blessed day!
NAILED IT!!!!!
bigotry
disapproving
the fact of having and expressing strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life:
religious/racial bigotry
Sedona territory is not safe from millions crossing your state border and families should be prepared for inevitables in 2024. Life was better and safer under your President Trump policies and whether you personally liked him he proven a better President than your President Biden has been whilst people overseas do admire and did respect his leadership. Because of 3% interest rates our two American educated college graduates moved into their own homes because the payments are less than rentals. Once pleased Parker snowbirds regretfully must relocate from area to the Alabama Gulf Shores in April 2024. Thankful for our Parker memories and we will continue following Sedona news subscription now five years. Happy Christmas and peaceful new year (Deleted by editor).
[…] Source link […] harrynews
morning nice site comments flow anticipate 2024 busy
Today at 11:40 a.m. four people shot and killed near baseball stadium on a busy day in a carjacking by prior carjackers. Police knew the make model license plate of the big expensive SUV from a previous carjacking. People said multiple gunshots were fired in a terrifying scene.
This latest act of violence is a stark reminder of the rising crime problem in the District. As of December 21, 2023, violent crime has seen a 39% increase compared to 2022. This year has already seen 5,200 violent crimes, a significant jump from the 3,733 reported at the same point in 2022 including a member of Congress was a victim of an armed carjacking.
The DC mayor is very progressive and soft on crime and city corruption undermines attempts to improve public safety.
It’s everywhere in US, Love wells.
Christmas is here Sedona and try and treat people like they matter instead of being your usual excuse of a grinch.
@mark every effing syllable rang true
@Merry Christmas Cindy Lou in Whosville
@Love sorry to see you go
@sedona Santa’s on his way
Merry Christmas citywide from all of us to all of you.
It’s the light you cannot see.
time for eclipse
Merry Christmas & Happy New year, we love you Sedona
Democrats funded additional 87,000 IRS agents to go after lower and middle class taxpayers to pay for their out of control spending programs because the rich who pay most of taxes are being sucked dry like in northwest and east coast and they rule the country. That’s Bidenomics Merry Costmass you bloody stupid fools.
nothing virtual about those words
Credit Mark
In 2024, more than ever, our nation needs the common sense policies of the Trump Administration to save it from the mess Biden’s administration put us in. What the left can’t understand in its attempt to rewrite American culture and usher in communism is that communism doesn’t work without dictators for leaders and that’s proven its worthlessness to improve humanity. Biden has pushed the envelope and it’s time to push back and vote the man and his minions out. Trump didn’t destroy or ruin economy or cause wars plural like Biden has and is.
Trump gave us the greatest economy until China attempted to destroy the globe and us to be the dominant power on earth. Fighting for our future is now…because China has billions to feed off our table and China doesn’t allow diversity at its table. Pay attention American blacks and browns and reds and yellows…China will strip native Americans of their lands and identities and blacks will become the mistreated workers like in today’s African nations that China has been exploiting and buying its people and minerals for decades. 2024 appears to be shaping up for global warfare to reduce the populations further.
A year ends and we’ll see how 2024 works out, pray for peace because our lives won’t be the same if we lose peace.
Rizz
When you let government employees run your lives you lose. Personally the Maine official that took Trump off a ballot should be terminated by the state immediately for violating her oath of office, and same for Colorado judges who violated their oaths and any violation regardlesss needs immediate and straightforward accountability. We cannot allow unelected bureaucrats and politicians and appointees to hold power over the electorate and that’s YOU and me. What makes Americans great is that we have the tools to hold the line against it like here in Sedona where politicians and businesses say they will determine our quality of life. Grow up people and spend a few minutes in 2024 on civil liberties between visits to your favorite restaurants and stores.
California the state with massive taxes on the poor and Middle classes and the hugest budget deficit in the nation which means Arizonans pay for its deficit, will be giving EVERY illegal man woman child total health insurance coverage beginning today while we wonder how one so for person paying taxes there would vote for democrats like Gavin Newsom the pretty rich boy doing nothing except sign every stupid costly bill passed by his stupid state legislators that raise taxes on California poor and middle classes.
Poor and middle class Californians don’t get total health insurance coverage.
What a (deleted by editor) state and embarrassment to the nation by the quality of its voters.
You know that ZERO documentation is required to vote in CA?! That’s why I moved my business and family out five years ago because the taxes to support politicians are out of control. Like your Sedona
Tax is ridiculously high like we found on visit last week and the question is what’s its value to tourism?
Happy New Years
@GG. Yes!
No you got it wrong Owen!!! California contributes more to the federal government than they get back on like Arizona, which takes more from the feds than they contribute!! don’t be a liar now, Owen.. by the way, you should be kissing California’s ass because they’re filling up Arizona tin cup which is out like a bagger.. you’re welcome, Owen !!your more of a liar than a Republican politician!!
Oh you moved your business to AZ… please let us know what business you own so we can patronize it… (deleted by editor)
what’s wrong lisa California????? cesspools stench you left behind fading in Arizona clean air???
Explain to us how California contributes more when they don’t have more to contribute, getting worse with Pelosi cutting off water to agriculture? Most Californians polled believed food was grown in factories and not farms. Californians aren’t the best educated.
Your pro California sound off is a lot like virtual and fake money, called Gavinomics, the son of Bidenomics.
who cares that he she Squirrel supports CA over AZ when he she Squirrel disputes facts with nonsense
good to have Sedona Eye 2024
https://youtube.com/shorts/fVEicxChnUc?si=wuIdim-pxhpTOGmg (offsite link) 2024 is the year for real people standing up to Hollywood and Democrat manipulation. Keep that tape rolling!
Thinking and decided to share opinions about what’s being said for 2024. Consider what others think but don’t do online convos.
Trying to get this straight the Biden administration found money to hire 187,000 IRS agents and has authorized them to carry guns & why? People file their taxes by computer or mail. Are these guns to shoot the computers or mailboxes? Filing taxes is paperwork, and nobody hides with a tax return envelope in a basement behind locked doors waiting to shoot or be shot by an IRS agent known only as an 800 number? WHY THE GUNS FOR 187,000 – you can’t collect money from dead people. Why worry your government wants your money at the point of a gun and is telling you it’s necessary to collect taxes filed by computers or hunt down every American taxpayer for their 20% of taxes ——— the administration can’t find money for even 100 or 1000 or 10,000 or 50,000 or 187,000 border patrol agents to protect Americans paying 20% taxes?
What’s going on?
The founding fathers made DC a DISTRICT to prevent problems that can’t be avoided with state controls.
The Pentagon is across the water in the state of Virginia and CIA in Maryland, literally minutes away from the White House by car and we don’t need a new state line that keeps security in or out on top of the handful of agencies in charge now.
Learn your history —— No new state. No new state military. No new batch of state troopers and legislators and bureaucrats for 8 sq mile patch of government buildings. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a black woman, has represented DC in congress for decades, she does the job that needs to be done for a city with no agricultural or industry except government, and that always votes progressive Democrat and always will and DC has one of the worst crime rates in nation and one of the lowest arrest and prosecution rates with its soft on crime Mayor and city council. Difficult to imagine any good reason for the country to add more states.
yea the future ok
Oh my…..look it up little brain, less talking anonymous heads.. facts are correct and you don’t like being called out for government beggars … LOL as I said, you should be kissing California’s ass for filling up your tin begging cup…