SedonaEye.com columnist Eddie S. Maddock offers Sedona the best of times and the worst of times in the ongoing dispute between the Chamber of Commerce destination marketing program and its local government control in a tale of one city.
Sedona AZ – The following phrase suggesting radical opposites is from the opening paragraph of the famous Charles Dickens’ novel, “A Tale of Two Cities:”
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity …”
Considering the number of ongoing disputes here in Sedona (perhaps beginning, but most assuredly not the ending) was the idea of becoming an incorporated city. Of course that argument was settled by the voters, and the City of Sedona designation became official.
However one ongoing tug of war has existed and continues to this day and it is the extent, if any, to which the Sedona Chamber of Commerce has controlled local government. Logically it stands to reason that a member-driven, non-profit organization should not be playing the role of acting as a tail wagging the dog (City of Sedona)… especially since its primary function is to serve Chamber of Commerce members, many located outside the “city limits” and thus are unauthorized to vote, charge Sedona city sales tax, or allegedly make viable decisions within incorporated Sedona boundaries. Old news? Of course.
However a huge mistake occurred at the time Sedona was seeking a source for a “destination marketing” contract and, instead of following the guidelines set forth to obtain bids by way of RFP (Requests for Proposals) and under intense opposition, a contract was approved with what realistically was the “regional” Chamber of Commerce and war, figuratively speaking, was declared.
This conflict quite possibly has recently been resolved by the Chamber of Commerce giving written notice they would not be renewing its contract as Sedona’s official Designated Management Organization (DMO).
Sedona has newcomers on the City Council. They are smart. They are asking a lot of questions. They are astute. But perhaps best of all, they recognize Sedona residents and respect City Limits as their jurisdiction. They have also expressed interest and intent to cooperate with regards to the spirit of regional communication and indicate willingness to seek and share ideas with other Verde Valley communities, but at the same time always to respect the limitations of their jurisdiction.
At recent meetings, the Sedona City Council has graciously spoken well of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce while at the same time maintaining their position relating to the current differences of opinion existing regarding goals and direction of a DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) under which the Sedona Chamber of Commerce had been under contract. That apparently was the basis by which the C of C made their decision to not renew the contract with Sedona.
Conflicts between Sedona Arizona residents and its city councils began after a council awarded a destination marketing contract to a local non-profit membership-driven organization tasked with promoting its paid members businesses and commercial interests, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. The contract’s negative impact on city residents quality of life issues before, during and after the pandemic, resulted in contentious local elections and city council meetings. In 2023, after newly elected city council members joined existing, the Chamber program was agendized for discussion, review and action.
Recently the following was on a city council agenda:
3.a. AB 2930 Discussion/possible direction/action regarding next steps towards the development of a municipal destination marketing and management program, including a Resolution designating the City of Sedona as the official Destination Marketing Organization.
Because as it appears the transition of a DMO will revert to where many think it should have been in the first place, City Hall, a great deal of thought and logical strategy is being considered, particularly from the newer faces on City Council beginning, but not ending with hiring a professional consultant for direction.
City Council members display a sincere desire to support the premise that tourism needs to have a positive result. The majority of the city council members favor taking a slower approach, while the mayor stated that he “Can’t support waiting.”
Was expressing the need to work for “all Sedona residents and businesses” in fact a confirmed admission that during years gone by residents have, indeed, been shunned and perceivably treated like irrelevant nuisances? Is it fair to relate the overblown credit bestowed upon the Chamber of Commerce and Lodging Council as being the direct source of Sedona’s tax revenue? Has overextended and, perhaps, unprofessional pursuits actually been the cause resulting in out of control tourism creating overuse and disintegration of our most spectacular attraction, Sedona’s beauty, as well as local quality of life being shunned in the process?
Is it the obligation of Sedona government to promote businesses? No. Tourism should have positive results. Hasn’t too much time already been wasted on a “messy relationship” with the Chamber of Commerce? Yes.
It was suggested and agreed upon that most likely it will be good for the Chamber to do their own thing because, among other reasons, their vision is not the same as that of incorporated Sedona, which as presently stated is to “work for Sedona residents and businesses.” Residents, as stakeholders, should no longer be shunned and treated like second-class citizens or flatlanders.
With the task of tackling the logical decision to relocate the official DMO under the roof at Sedona City Hall, a new focus will be directed on the beauty of the area with a realistic approach and recognition of its capacity and thus indicating the need to include a method of educating our visitors. “Brand Sedona” and allow the Chamber of Commerce to deal with commercialization to benefit its members? The suggestion of an Advisory Board consisting of both residential and business participation to work in conjunction with the proposed hiring of a consultant was well received.
Newer members on the Sedona City Council were prudent in inquiring about return on investments. To-date nothing has been made available to speak to the success or failure of the contract with the Chamber of Commerce. For example, was the end result merely the extensive miles of backed up traffic? Who knows? What about success, failure, return on investment, use and participation of the newly created Sedona Transit System?
But all things considered, it seems logical to accept that certain changes, no matter what they are, will result in perhaps “the best of times” for some while for others they will, from their perspective, complain about suffering through “the worst of times.”
However, when seeking an answer about Sedona’s investment in the transit system, most assuredly not a profit producer, perhaps the answer will not be known unless transparency is practiced.
By establishing an appropriate Sedona City Designated Management Organization and, to include an “official” City of Sedona Visitors Center to rightfully represent ALL Sedona licensed businesses, then . . . at that time . . . won’t the City of Sedona finally revert to being the “dog” who rightfully takes control of wagging its own “tail”?
The best of times?
prices lowered John W challenging to comprehend?
GoDaddy needs to come back to USA, we have jobs in Arizona that they need to refill. Hire American, hire English speakers.
Love your family. Love each other.
Yep. Egg prices back to Biden inflated normal and need to drop again.
Face the Nation = DeFace the Nation
Cancel culture it now
Sedona , Mexican flags better fly lower than American flags
Love Elon, Doge and Rs
Its going to be fun in about 6 months…..You will be as quiet as a mouse as you get it stuck in your rear…..Just remember “We told you!”
Pope Francis dies and see who’s dancing with joy, why it’s Democrats who ordered Catholics to be arrested and sent to prison while power hungry Catholic Bidens committed purgatory and hellworthy sins against humanity and the Church and US?
Don’t forget FBI undereducated and DEI hires loathe Jews and Christians and want kids to be educated to hate us too. I’ve heard it and I’ve seen it and hope that filthy rich anti freedom education Harvard (Columbia, Princeton, the like) open up its 53 tax exempt billions in bank accounts from wealthy donors not accepting Asians or white Americans. Literally privileging wealthy kids to be ignorant activists against the common workers by disrupting tax paid for transportation, free speech and civil rights laws, liberty and prosperity, by lying we don’t need or want them. Yes we do want jobs and we will work any job to get ahead. They educate idiots who vote to spend BILLIONS on HOMELESS ILLEGAL ALIENS instead of cleaning up streets, stopping free drugs access, and putting them into mental health programs WE PAY FOR. Resist the TV commercials and vote what you see with your eyes. Get rid of California and Arizona politicians and get back to basics.
And effing eggs???????????? Rightee Tightee prices wayyyyyy below Bideeeee
Secretary Kristi Noem robbed of purse under table at her feet during Easter meal with grandkids in DC, one of the armpits of America for crime and criminals, elected and unelected. Fire every DEI hire security.
Rumor has it someone seated at a table next to her put his foot out and got her bag from under the table at her feet and quietly fled restaurant with her purse with money, DHS security badge, keys, passport and other personal items. She’s doing a job for America and you nutcases will survive four years of any politician! You are the problem and not the politicians. Elect smart folks and let them do the jobs you hired them to do.
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE.gov) needs supportive nation to let House GOP know what wasteful programs DOGE should cut. Go on its website and speak up sheepies. Stop the Democrats graft and greed.
God Bless Our Pope.
Democrat jewish Jessica on Gutfield forced Democrat Hakeem Jeffries to deny he and Party have been and are open borders (Deleted by editor) on a different show. She needs to join Republicans with Jeffries. Democrats support open borders, FBI going into churches and schools, Gaza, Russia taking Ukraine, porn instruction for babies in preschool and K-12 and AOC and BS for leadership at (Deleted by editor)
Crazy Schumer is trying to torpedo Trump;s pick for DC US Attorney Ed Martin.
Crazy Schumer is furious that Ed Martin tried to hold him accountable for threatening Supreme Court Justices on the steps of the building. Call your Senators now to let them what you think about getting Ed confirmed as soon as possible: 202-224-3121 and tell them to get to work and get it done for USA..
rang Sen Gyauo told him hes not elected him to stand in lawyers way getting jobs no matter what president put names in , get unelected if no kicking out woke to standing with free people
Lemonis in trouble for flying big beautiful American flag listen up folks it’s time to Dump Democrats Against Democracy Now.
No American must ever be disallowed from being patriotic and loud and proud for freedom. Fly flags big and wide.
“Some foreign shrimp being sold in our country have enough chemicals in them to make you grow an extra ear.” – Senator John Kennedy
Senator Kennedy proposed a bill to monitor illegal and unsafe, seafood imports. His bill did not pass. It was blocked by Senate Democrats.
You still wondering why our Democrats are oligarchs prancing in stages and flying by private jets to their performances and why Republicans are for the people?
Chinese & Russia want Americans to feel guilt being loud and free. They’re not friends. (Deleted by editor) People hating MAGA hats are brainless nazis bolsheviks maoists. Shipping off to Africa – China – Gaza – Middle East – Russia – Venezuela – Cuba – make everybody happy if they go live with people like them. Ask Jane Fonda how she felt good in North Vietnam.
Finally good news!
USDA secretary Brook Rollins announced a portal for farmers ranchers and producers that if you’re being harassed by federal or state agencies you go to the portal and you’ve essentially a direct line to the top, to secretary Rollins.
People saying portal is going to be a big deal.
It’s a needed change to government overreach under Biden Harris like when they sued a farmer for having an old stone fence built in the 1950s on his property and sued the farmer and threatened to take his farm in 2025? Joe and Kamala Administration sucked.
They allowed illegals who murdered stay out of jail, interfere with deporting criminals, because BH administration could steal farms from tax paying farmers on pretext of climate change?
Guarantee 20 million illegals screwed US climate by devastation of deserts, cities, waters like Oak Creek, Canyon camps. Look what’s done to Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona trails. Get your head out of asses is truer then not.
Let’s get bills to the floor to block them in future! Vote out corrupt Arizona democrats!
Vote Blue!
BUY TESLA
Gas prices have fallen, egg prices fallen, tax cuts coming, China has to stop its fentanyl production and exports to America to kill Americans. FOIA reports prove Wuhan and Fauci. Biden failed protecting us from China fentanyl and pandemic and you should ask why? Trump was right about the pandemic and ivermectin not wanting to scare us before UN WHO FAKE science took him down.
Warren Buffet, you may be 94, but stick around a few more decades and continue to give great advice.
We need citizens like Musk that give of themselves, he’s a true American and his efficiency people inspire computer scientists of the future.
Doge what we voted for
Exciting news. Tongji University researchers shows that Antarctica reverses trend and gains ice for the first time in decade. Researchers say from 2021 through 2023 the ice sheet saw a record-breaking mass gain. Satellite gravimetry data shows that between 2011 to 2020 the ice sheet lost 142 giga tons of ice per year. That trend flipped between 2021 and 2023 when the ice sheet gained about 108 giga tons of ice per year most of the gains were in east Antarctica. Much of the gains are linked to precipitation patterns. Excited for this good news to share.
Red rocks Chapel h beautiful
Republicans too stupid to get bills passed LOL
Bought Tesla last week. Cameras are on. Just sayin.
President Trump with Secretary RFKennedy Jr signed order to increase pharmaceutical manufacturing in US and stop relying on imported drugs of unknown quality. Covid taught us why never rely on China or other countries for what we can do safer here in USA.
Where were you in the 80s? Reaganomics? Outsourcing? Union busting?
We did all that here. It was more important for CEOs to make millions, than pay a good wage, healthcare, and pensions to their employees!
Amazing everyone forgot the selling out of America!
Be aspirational.
Time to relax and enjoy a forward thinking intelligent President and Cabinet and turn off your woke news and propaganda media. Now if we get the democrats out of Arizona we will be better off and Californians are too stupid to care about.
Wine growers checking out new portal at dept of agriculture agreed
California has no one to blame but itself with left wing beliefs and policies and politicians.
Cali wealthy leftists believe they’re better than the state’s poor by voting for crap politicians who turned a golden state into a cesspool where 1/3 are on welfare, with highest gas taxes in nation, with highest sales tax in nation, with highest Medicare fraud and Medical fraud according to latest polls. Those leftist politicians and bureaucrats took one of the best public education systems and in 15 years of Pelosi, Obama, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, Biden, Harris, Schiff, Bass, Newsom, with hands in the poorest peoples pockets, its in the bottom 1/5.
@barbarateaches. checked science correct, good news
Watch Stuart Varney. US-China agrees in Switzerland to tariffs 10% each side, China agreed to remove its import tariffs on American goods. Don’t trust China, say experts, watch verify. DJT did it.
DJT also signed that Americans can’t be charged more than any other nation for its drugs. Big Pharmaceuticals cannot gouge us and must begin to make what America uses here. Time to kick lobbyists out of DC offices and out of Congress. Transparency means they cannot influence (steal?)from us.
If you want to know real news get X account. That’s where it happens daily. Markets are soaring.
lmao bet cnn abc cbs run stories how small bizzes can’t make it with lower prices with fake tariff reduction outrage lmao
Bernie = The Big Burnout
AOC = An Oligarchy Commie
paid seats and preprinted signs available for old white women and dementia patients with ugly fat kids on Sedona tour stop!
storm library – government buildings (bring paint -face masks – headscarfs) – get on tv – collect $500 bonus! lmao
Wow your so clever!!!
Here’s an idea about that Qatar plane, President Trump, to look good have Qatar donate it back to Boeing and let Boeing retrofit it. Why isn’t Boeing able to deliver planes is the real question, asks Mr. Wonderful and America? Qatar return Boeing’s plane and Boeing get it retrofitted for us. Win win.
Democrats obstructing everything even civilian nominees WTF progressive losers you need to get off the thug and drug expressway
ELON MUSK: “The legacy media never mentions white genocide in South Africa, because it doesn’t fit their narrative that whites can be victims. Even Starlink is not allowed to operate there, because I’m not black.”
Neither were the Khoisan, first to roam the southern African coast and fields.
@Dick proof’s in the pudding, bills and codify rights, congress must act, senate is embarrassment
Oh Jim….how does you head not explode with all the nonsense bouncing around up there… You come across like you’re somewhat intelligent… I guess when you spout nonsense constantly like you do….. You start believing your own BS and sometimes “outright lies”… On second thought you and our president are two peas in a pod… you noticed I said our president… I won’t revert to using childish names like most do here by calling him /them the Trump crime family.. ..
need to stop playing troll
Well, stop being a liar, thinking you’re the smartest person in the world!!
Politics and religion are seldom dinner topics, raising it isn’t poor etiquette, it’s etiquette of highest importance. Why? Viewpoints, political views, religious concerns, whatevers, are necessary. Given the USA is in the midst of amoral and cultural upheavals, it’s imperative friends and family discuss politics, beliefs, morals, virtues, nonsense, education, everything that’s fundamental for basis of American freedom and dynamism.When does America have the opportunity to influence or share or integrate beliefs in daily lives except at tables shared with others? What would Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln think seated at American tables? Bring flowers, bottles of liquor and mostly a sense of amusement learning how small your opinions are in the greatest country on earth. It’s never personal, it’s acting like Americans. God bless it and pass it on.