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.
Your delusional always a problem always a problem always a problem
Don’t worry be happy X showed Oprah brought pillows for her neighbors in shelters, and No she didn’t invite people to come shelter at her Lahaina address with no fire or wind damage but others argue no worries she’ll offer fair prices. She’s HI resident after leaving California taxes and not under the no buy moratorium, now be happy for her and the Lahaina people she helps with this useless land, Oprah’s a good lady.
Well I have to admit you sure are full of hate and ignorance! You fit in perfect with the crazies here! Lets see, morning of 8/17, 38% of the devastation and 111 dead!
You have no heart, you lack empathy, you are a terrible person and enjoy spewing your ugly vial hate…..You fit in perfect here….
As I said, why so much attention by national media to Oprah’s neighborhood and not to poor Chicago murders daily that Oprah escaped? Idiot, I’d rather have a brain than your fake heart. Count the bodies in Chicago and compare that to your fake Hawaii empathy.
You do crazy fake outrage well.
Here is what you wrote you twit!
C&P: Anybody else sick of the Lahaina fire coverage? Likely deliberately set. No it wasn’t the worst Hawaiian catastrophe, try a volcano erupting for context and it’s not the same as losing your favorite surfer board. Oprah owns 2,000 acres of Hawaiian land there and it’s the damn tropics and it will look green and lush again in a year. What about them Chicago Oakland DC Baltimore murders yesterday or the 10k people that got away at the AZ border this week? Do you ever stop and think why you’re seeing hours of coverage of a tropical island fire instead of real news?
—————————————————-
My I suggest you turn off right wing hate radio and TV. Its rotting your brain!
fake empathy over and over and no brain
Thanks for calling out that mindless hateful moron .. I love how she tried to soften her stupidity…you called out her BS using her own post. Beautifully done!
you turn off your communist propaganda machine and stop being a socialist hypocrite fire not natural origin maybe homeless drifter camps drive people crazy like Sedona fire by tourist – California wildfires caused by homeless – Oregon fires homeless go name wildfires lately sis – bro – gender unknown prove Mindless Twits rule us
If all those wildfires started by homeless why not put them up at your home…. You’d be doing something good for society besides your mindless hateful moronic posting ..Get on that Judy..
View up in arms NYC using federal lands to house illegals now. Got permission from Joe personally.
St. JoeDem says he loves NYC for votes and they owe him that federal land to house illegals because NYC kids and adults using federal areas for recreation and athletics and summer camps and holistic education need to stop being selfish wanting parks and recreation and work harder to pay higher taxes and build illegals affordable housing on it.
Thank you St. JoeDem
Lahaina story untold by national media. Obama officials (yes island’s governed by Obama political appointees) argued 5 hours whether to let firefighters use water on the growing fire? Island surrounded by water and it could’ve invested in a desalination plant and why wasn’t water pumped to spray a deadly fire no matter what? Officials implemented a plan not allowing water be used on residential areas? An island surrounded by a massive ocean, not ponds or lakes or tributaries? Obama Biden era political hypocrites murdered one thousand men women children while playing Green Gretas. Tell the truth and people might care. Green power grid? Heard morticians saying deaths could’ve been attributed to Green.
In response to those who have asked about the lack of new information on Sedona Eye, this is to advise you my only participation in the publication has been to submit articles from time to time – which initially came about because of an invitation from the original editor of the printed version of Sedona Times – subsequently acquired by the present editor/publisher of Sedona Eye.
Therefore – due to my lack of understanding the process by which an online publication is activated I really don’t know when or if the publication will reappear. The last article I submitted was dated 6/3/23 and remains unpublished.
@mark
You are out of YOUR mind… just crazy no further comment needed
@mark Invest in desalination plant and miss all the free from other state taxpayers coffers and FEMA handouts? The town sits on massive Pacific Ocean and government bureaucrats managed to kill over 1000 people by being totally inept idiots. Scariest damn thing is government coming to help. Put your masks on ever again sheeples and look in mirror at why 1000 plus people were killed by government and why millions globally by a Chinese biological experiment. Stand up for yourself and demand accountability. It’s wrong not to do it.
Krakatoa volcano exploded this day in 1883 and news around the world said earth was finished. Other news said stop acting like sheeples and realize the planet is a living entity and it will adapt and continue to evolve like the people and animals on it do every day now.
Tidal waves from the Krakatoa explosion killed 36,000 in Java and Sumatra (Indonesia’s Sunda Strait) alone! Climate believers YOU must believe President Obama is INSANE for buying a waterfront ISLAND home? Or President Biden who paid millions in cash for his waterfront home? Or President Trump? There is no climate crisis that your car or your ceiling fan or your gas stove matters. Al Gore is laughing at the idiots who gave him college credits and scientists with actual brains who didn’t cheat to graduate Ivy League classes are too. LMAO here also.
If what you say is true?…..The world might be a better place, shutting down one hate site at a time! Thanks for the hope!
Speaking of “hate site” @@Eddie, isn’t your message a perfect example of what you appear to be preaching against? Pot calling the kettle black??
Now thats funny……….Now go through any thread and think this place is happy land……..If you cant see it your part of the problem.
Are you saying that people dont complain about the city being Incorporated which was over 30 years ago?
Or that conspiracy theories arnt the norm here?
I have pointed this site to dozens of locals, and they cant believe what they see written
So bury your head, I am spot on! When was the last time you even read anything positive here? I will wait……………………………
List YOUR own address, gatekeeper of the self righteous liberal left, if you want to shelter illegals and drug addicted Sedona area homeless, because I won’t and never will open my home to known and unknown criminals and dangerous drug users and gang members. But I will help charitable causes performing charitable functions for our society if their mission and financial statements align with my expected belief system and outcome. End of story, radical pompous ass.
I love you overblown comments about how terrible Sedona is one by truck gangs in homeless, blah blah blah you are really out of your mind. Please tell us the list of things you agree to donate your time and your money to…. I guarantee you know such list exist. You’re the type of person to find fault and everything. Are youLol… it’s OK the world doesn’t need to know Sedona will go on with your heat rants. Remember most people think you’re crazy and you change nothing I repeat nothing
Thank you Sedona Friend for laying the truth on the line. All those people who continue to nag and whine about Sedona Eye being so negative might consider taking a page out of their own book. Pot calling the kettle black?
Since when is violation of the Federal Immigration Law a positive thing? Oh of course for the big shots who will arrange for all those ILLEGAL entries to register to vote for them? In other words you favor Socialism over Democracy – and look forward to paying increased taxes to support the vast numbers of welfare recipients riding the gravy train? OK.
That apparently is what the voters approved when they elected the current president . . . what’s his name? Joe Biden? But why should we remember when he doesn’t even seem to know what day it is??
And you consider the above article to be negative? Isn’t the information factual enough for you because it doesn’t spin towards the direction you might prefer?
No what you wrote is not factual, and you cant prove one bit of it….So yes the comment is negative hateful, and a lie…..LOL Man I would love to see the day you guys are waiting at the pearly gates….The look on your faces…..LOL!
Nothing worse than a liberal American party that hates America and embraces Liberal Humiliations.
Liberal Humiliation Hillary cozying up to Bill on 60 Minutes while his DNA ejaculation was hauled from a closet while perjuring himself on national TV and shaking that finger saying he never had sex with that woman or even the other cases settled with big political donors money. Liberal Humiliation is Bernie Sanders shaking his (deleted by editor) on TV to prove he appeals to younger girls and boys voters. Liberal Humiliation is big party donor pedophiles jet setting with Jeffery Epstein and crew. Liberal Humiliation Sandy Bartenders and I Married My Brother turbanated Ilhans mimic Liberal Humiliation JB KH brain farts, and on and on and on.
Liberal Humiliation is millionaire Warren pretending Native American roots to cheat a system and gets re-elected, or Soros money launderers elected as pro American Democracy.
Liberal Humiliation is one step away from the glue factory of politics aka the Democratic Party..you can leave it, but prefer Schiff.
Just keep spreading your imaginary nonsense and extreme right wing conspiracies.. all your doing is helping out the Democrats with your extremism!!! Keep it up,,, you’ll be extinct soon just like the dinosaurs(although youll probably don’t believe they even existed.)
I get my crazy from about everyone in my family, damn fine folks. You?
Tax revenue reflects poor economy with rising inflation. Gas prices are predicted to hit $10 up across nation to force middle class to drive and fly less. The lies from DC are getting out of hand.Keeping lid on demands for good life and make you have to share with communist raised illegals and lazy welfare recipients. Suck up legalized drugs and pay for items criminals steal. Complain and get arrested. Go Fight about abortion and show your stupidity in parades and holding signs.Fight about solar and wind and show your ignorance about weather. It keeps citizens from realizing (deleted by editor).
catch up
2024 is disappointed Sedona quality life
Now ain’t it a shame? Sedona tax revenue is reported as being down from last year (2022). And why is that?
Well the way some control artists in Sedona would like to spin it is: The reason people are no longer flocking to this once regarded “Holding Tank to Heaven” is because City of Sedona and the controlling regional and alleged “Sedona” Chamber of Commerce stopped spending millions of Sedona City tax revenue on advertising!! Yeah no one heard of Sedona before “incorporated” Sedona went into perceived “cahoots” with the “regional” C of C to promote it?
Forget that there has been a (was it real or not) COVID pandemic and federal government policies which have inflated retail prices to over-the top records. Checked your grocery bill lately? Not to mention the price of gasoline and other commodities.
Oh by all means lets “save the planet” because of questionable global warming (remember the Ice Age) and other presumed causes for the outrageous cost of living in today’s world.
Just keep in mind every single item purchased is transported – how? Primarily by gasoline fueled vehicles while at the same time the current national administration refuses to produce products locally for USA citizens.
Are we to presume our present city council will take a step backward and reinstate the “alleged” C of C outrageous multi-million $$$$ funding in order to revive Sedona’s slumped economy? To hell with Sedona residents and the diminished quality of life!
Bring on even more vacation short-term rentals to squash the integrity of our living experience in our subdivisions?
Insane? You vote for it or not.
Voting out the people approving such irresponsible thinking is the only answer. The city council who allowed this inconceivable process is long gone.
One member moved from Sedona after leaving the city council here and has since been reported as now deceased after having pushed through the extravagant glorification of the false power extended to the “regional” C of C.
Doesn’t the future of 2024 depend on voters – locally and nationally? Karma lives. Decisions here live and die. Time to let bad decisions due sooner. VOTE.
Chill be present $ run for office – no meetings not committed – wins go to show ups
Sedona’s lucky people want to be here because its suits their purposes but Sedona patina is fading because businesses allow negativity to impact its fragile positivity. Hollywood is aging out and they’re 1 of every 2 Sedona affiliated purchasers, Silicon Valley prefers week or month in and almost all weeks out. Families with children prefer homes where every age has something to do without packing the group up for road trips each day. Our schools aren’t outstanding and truthfully are mediocre, but they do have decent views for daydreaming. Most parents subsidize the public school system here with tutors and online education programs. Hippies are almost all now 80 plus and environmentalists aged out before them. People don’t care any longer and want government to do it for them. That’s why we have an administration of nincompoops locally and nationally and globally. Get what you want you lose what you might dream.
Property taxes are a must; it is time! Increase the city sales tax too. Booya – problem solved. Make me the Mayor!
WilliamD . . . cutting expenses is the Sedona city answer to the non problem. That’s not a political statement either, that’s common sense math. Nothing will close and no one will lose jobs and not one ounce of lost opportunity. Trim the fat and send off the fat cats to other jobs. Believe me I know and SedonaTime Eye needs to stay.
Democrats have DESTROYED the economic freedom and future of each and every American. IT’S TIME TO REMOVE THEM FROM OFFICE AND THE SEDONA COUNCIL AND MAYOR. Their elected incompetence reeks of nepotism and money.
Property taxes San Fran Newsom-style? The kind of taxes that keep growing and growing and growing and less and less and less gets done with more and more and more of our money to keep coffers full to dole out to their friends and family? That kind of property tax? How is it that under past Republicans and Democrats property taxes were never passed? You certainly qualify for a Sedona mayor @msherbert and quite likely get a few pats on the pocket already, eh? Move out, you’re redundant and like most government workers ineffective and bloated by power of taxpayers’ purses.
Reading comments prove its the tipping point for Sedona when the wealthy leaving rises above the trickle now, no property tax will be the only selling point Sedona offers to attract investment.
Pandemic lessons highlight Sedona Councils failures and mistakes. Cesspool building is easier than smart planning; Sedona wastewater ponds and injection sites clearly example, while dabbling in municipal decisions prove lack of even basic fundamentals oversight expertise. What Sedona Councils do best is dole out money locally to locals and not making decisions for outside interests.
cut budget pork includes jobs rein in benefits,conserve money,clean parks,restore creek,close timeshares,close fast foods chains
A person must legally reside in Sedona City Limits in order to serve as Mayor of Sedona. Have you moved back to Sedona @mshobert or is it that you just cannot seem to walk away and finalize your apparently bad experience while here?
Also property taxes must be voter approved. If you were as smart as you think you are wouldn’t you be aware of that? Do you really believe we residents are foolish enough to start the trend of endless property tax increases? At least sales tax everyone pays not just property owners! Got it yet?
Sedona’s council, passengers on a tourist trolley in a desert of political climate change and that’s not a good ride to be on Sally.
Prez & son don’t obey laws & here elections for mayors held when not legal
From USA government’s own reports:
In April 2023, 6% of counties in the US experienced temperatures above the 20th century normal. During the same time period, 0.5% of counties in the US experienced lower than normal monthly temperatures. 94% of counties experienced temperatures normal for the 20th century.
Cooler
Average
Warmer
DIFFERENCE FROM 20TH CENTURY AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE
Temperature and population over time
How many Americans experience monthly temperature extremes?
69.7M
WARMER
2020 Population
88.6K
COOLER
2020 Population
2023 Population
In April 2023, 69.7 million Americans lived in counties experiencing higher temperatures than the 20th century normal. During the same period, 88,581 people lived in counties experiencing lower than normal monthly temperatures. 259.6 million people lived in counties experiencing temperatures normal for the 20th century. (End of report from site.)
Comment begins; Hello you spineless dweebs media outlets and rabid leftist climate warming followers. GretaGreens true colors are red control of democracy money and they don’t give a damn about you just how much taxing they’ll do to your wallet until you resist.
You should rejoice at California’s tax rate because unlike Arizona they give more to the federal government then they get back unlike Arizona residence or freeloaders who rely on the Goodwill and taxes from California residents as well as other states you should be kissing California’s ass and thank them for thier tax donations. AZ would have a budget deficit if it wasn’t for contributing states positive cash flow to the feds.. your welcome Arizona..or should I say AZ panhandlers
@thomasw. right on.
How much money do snowbirds bring to Arizona?
The Canada Arizona Business Council estimates that snowbirds add $1.4 billion to Arizona’s economy yearly.Jul 6, 2023
http://www.12news.com › arizona
New bill could extend U.S. stay for Canadian ‘snowbirds’ – 12News
To that city worker or politician posting false facts about California subsidies. No California does not subsidize Arizona. It needs to be subsidized by the rest of us. If you’re not the above, then you’re a step above the lowest Sedona totem pole and you’re welcome to it alone.
Facts —- In terms of overall aid, the five states which received the most federal aid were:
California ($116.0 billion)
New York ($79.2 billion)
Texas ($68.2 billion)
Florida ($41.7 billion)
Pennsylvania ($41.0 billion)
In 2020, Vermont, West Virginia, and Alaska received the highest proportions of federal funding relative to their overall budgets. Vermont relied on federal grants the most: 35.8% of its budget came from the federal government. West Virginia followed at 34.1%, and Alaska at 33.9%.
Colorado relied on federal grants the least, with 15.9% of its total budget coming from the federal government. Washington State and Utah also relied little on grants, at 16.0% and 16.1%, respectively.
SedonaTimes#1 Bust Sedona chops #1ESM
Sedona is not now and will not be bringing in the tax dollars that they are used to because we are IN A RECESSION. Big layoffs, no new jobs (except burger flippers), and a country song going viral world-wide due to the economy. The tax dollars will continue to go down because tourist can not afford even a weekend jaunt here. The real estate market is in a decline and Airbnbs are going empty. People are hurting due to higher costs of living including gas, food, and rent.
But we see what happens when cities go against the UN2030 agenda and 15 minute cities are rejected. Perhaps the city should purchase blue paint and blue tarps to protect us from a DEW weapon strike.
Different type interactive news -Bottom line Even Cal + 49 states gets subsidies -the nature of nation state local city +tax beast that NM needs b/c reservation +federal untaxable land like AZ +SW states. Here overnight +pretty views+ next Monument valley (deleted by editor)
Albuquerque
@Archie Mendez – “. . . and Airbnbs are going empty.” Now ain’t that a shame? NOT —- serves the greedy money hungry folks from out of state right for catering to the dumb policy of former Gov. Ducey for making short-term rentals legal in Arizona. What better example of Karma Lives?
Wrong… liar