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?
Radical Democats have launched an orchestrated campaign and attack against the greatest Supreme Court Justice in American History. A petition to have Justice Clarence Thomas impeached has been signed by over 2 MILLION radical Democrat activists, many signatures now questionable because of AI generated bots and campaign financed advertisements and global interference.
NO AI generated petitions! The Democrats are manipulating our democracy to further anti democratic agendas!
At breakfast meeting this morning voices couple dozen kept talking about news trying to convince us we didn’t see or hear the truth during debate our President isn’t capable of doing the job and not one voice has a good thing to say about VP. Two liked Gov. Newsom, but would vote for Steve Garvey if he ran for anything even though Republican. Several times voices agreed that the news is like trusting Boeing to bring astronauts home when you know they’re lying about safety that we can see with our own eyes. Lost us with time to right wrongs done in taypaying names (deleted by editor).
Former President Trump attempted assassination today. Shame on every American.
@andy One innocent person died also and another critically injured. Shooter killed on roof. Secret Service????? Americans you have lost your way like Andy said. Its under this administration spewing its hatred calling the former President a threat to democracy. He has never been or will be a threat to democracy, he is a threat to Joe Biden administration and its Democrat leftist insanity which desperately wants to hold on to power at all costs.
Joe Biden this act falls on you as leader and Kamala Harris as next in line for your failed leadership on how to be a campaign of good governance. Resign or make a statement you both will not run again.
Biden wanted to take Secret Service protection away from Trump and he wouldn’t let JFK (Robert Kennedy Jr) have it at all , What’s that tell you?
Message from Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States:
THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM DONALD TRUMP
I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured.
It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead.
I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.
I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.
Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Donald J. Trump
45th President of the United States
Donald Trump was rushed to a hospital after a shooting at a Pennsylvania rally left one attendee and the suspected gunman dead and two other spectators critically injured. It’s being investigated as an assassination attempt.
Wait until Supreme Court hears this case
Trump assassination attempt was staged by the Republicans really look at the close-up videos …. It’s a scam… Check it out don’t be a sheep!
Heard Shooter on roof of police building n BBC journalist pointed him out to police that did nothing. iWhats going down n what’s true
America is (deleted by editor)
This why 2nd amendment rights are absolutely guaranteed and necessary
Democrat Crazy Murders Americans At Campaign Rally is truthful headline
(Deleted by editor) Biden government have any rights to say when locally government and zoning have all rights to local lands by local citizens what rents or house prices will be??? My rent went up one and a half percent last year and now my landlord says prepare going to be 5% or more next year with this new proposal!!! Biden sucks because most rentals here didn’t go up and now Biden and Democrats want control like taxing my tips!!!! (Deleted by editor) not voting for tax increases
Hey renter, Why do Democrats want this when it negatively impacts us? To be frank it feels like its meant to set the stage for a nationwide government takeover of real estate making it impossible for poor and middle class to save for homes and making it impossible for developers and builders to build affordable homes because every government regulation costs taxpayers hell of a lot of money and DC prints more and our money worth less every year. DC is run by incompetents. Kick them out.
Stupids you keep say Republicans, everybody else says Democrats Coup Attempt ………..Trump in their way. He was very good President before and he’ll be very good again, Democrats know it and can’t stand being out of power when they think half country terrorists and half of that half terrorist Catholics. Give a priest a hug today and tell them to check the church for radical Democrats to excommunicate. Just joking almost
Democrat Party and Media wag their dogs. Sit down Ubu.
youre the democrat sheepie fool after hundreds or thousands of cell phones and media coverages proved you wrong & FBI and SS testimony proved you wrong & the true pro democrat assassin had contacts
Good morning Sedona! Let’s be truthful Obama Harris has been the tail wagging the dog and look what’s been done to Joe Biden and this country by the two of them. Get Them Out!in November!
Washington DC Office
2459 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-1976
Call and ask for Arizona Senators and Congressional representatives and register your opinions with their staff.
Catholic Churches and Bishops demand formal apology for Olympics anti religious agenda during global broadcast, let’s hear EVERYBODY demand it.
Hi Sedona folks from a fan. Read email exchange with Canadian friends about your Vice President ; “she has said she struggled with understanding her French immersion, so her mother sent her to an English-speaking school (in Quebec) for high school. (Canada has 13 grades not 12) This would no longer have been possible the next year, when Quebec passed a law requiring all immigrants who did not previously have English schooling in Quebec to enroll their children in French-speaking schools. (end email information condensed) Mother and children and others were Canadian immigrants, Quebec is in the Canadian northeast, heavily RC and not Christian or members of Canadian churches, raises the question how the mother instructed her children in a religion that she did not practice or have knowledge of. (Bon Chance, Adieu.) (deleted by editor) why
Stay safe. Don’t travel.
crime to give our right to vote to people without any education or knowledge of what it means, pass the SAVE ACT Democrats for being anti black and colors because Democrackheads you dilute our votes for criminals
If Democrats Want Proof Foreigners Are Registering To Vote, Virginia Just Found 6,303 Examples
thefederalist.com/2024/08/08/if-… (offsite link)
Tim Walz enabled the burning of Minneapolis. Walz and his close transgender advisor helped pass law to allow out of state children to be cut and diced and rearranged by surgical knives and without parental permission or consent required.
Kamala Harris helped bail out the arsonists and BLM when they burned cities and businesses and committed heinous crimes. Not getting my family and friends votes D or not.
He’s got my interest. Stand tall Republicans and get people to vote for Republicans.
The SAVE Act ensures the 11 to 20 MILLION illegally here undocumented immigrants told by Joe Biden to surge the border and his handpicked ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris would not be able to vote in federal elections was blocked by the Arizona Senate Democrats. Why?
PASS THE SAVE ACT is still alive and we still have a chance to save our elections from illegal voters deciding what we do in Sedona if a big spender buys enough votes and in Phoenix if a big spender buys enough votes and in DC if a big spender buys enough votes. Venezuela an oil rich democracy was brought down by a group of thugs and people are starving and land is being seized and burned out homes. Millions have to flee and that includes prison populations emptied to join them. Sounds like California and the new California-Arizonans, right?
don’t forget Walz was a very bad football coach lmao
Adam Schiff our California tax money is not yours to use on family and friends and vacations and lying times. A man named STEVE GARVEY is gonna run your greasy thieving liar (deleted by editor) out of state office. Garvey has the youth vote in California. Vote Steve Garvey, baseball legend, help Garvey win this election to get Schiff out of office and get taxes lowered that the Democrats raise every year on us. #NODEMOCRATS2024
@fredman heard jokes Waltz football coaching best play was signing a law putting tampons in boys bathrooms in his schools. What a guy, he must use them?
Hey small minds Kamala Harris just proposed a massive tax hike? 80% of jobs in America are provided by corporations and without them you don’t have nothing.
Jobs left America under Clinton, Obama, Biden and will run screaming for the exit with Harris. Lots of defections in unions members because Democrats EV focus steals their union jobs and that means cars and trucks and supply chains like stores. The SCAB is that union president not telling his union truths about their futures cause he likes living off those members dues. The worst President and Vice President polls are upheld.
Let me get this straight Eddie Maddock a group of us can round up unregistered illegals and legals here in Arizona towns and cities by helping fill out ballots and drop off city hall box and votes count even after election day with out needing voter to be there <Check it EM@SE)
Minnesota is 7th in the nation for LOSING residents because of its bad government!!!! Why would you consider a vote for somebody who’s a proven failure in office from Minnesota. Farmers and small businesses hate his anti business and pro Bill Gates ideas for state owned food and lands and pro China policies. This old man is like old man Bern, communists that want you to pay their bills. Walk away workers of America and shed the shackles of Democrats.
Look at the DNC…. That what happy people look like… not like you old mean wrinkled people here… I know your racist Unhappy and miserable in your life. Bye now
Checked out this site after seeing post on another topic. Whatdaya know they saw something pretty quiet about.
https://heartlanddailynews.com/2024/08/scottsdale-arizonas-deceptive-tax-hike-struck-down/ (Offsite link)
Scottsdale AZ tax hike struck down by court.Wake up Sedona taxpayers, make sure it doesn’t happen here.
Walz flunked COVID and flunked as a coach and governor in Minnesota. Typical poorly educated whitebread Democrat, man out of touch with thoughtful intelligent hardworking people, typical that he panders to nonAmericans because they fulfill his need for power and attention.
Life’s too good to watch entitled elitist first and second White House family’s children yap yap yap about life is hell as a woman and gay communities have been threatened badly the past two years. You’re right Precious Ones – your narcissistic mommy and daddy effed you up, but hear us – we don’t care about you either. Tattoo that.
Rumor has it Democrat men are lining up every day at the vasectomy bus outside DNC. Please God make it true.
Get on the Trump Truth Train. Democrat liars lie and lie and lie bc this entire administration has been lie after lie after lie. Keep rolling like Tina Turner say.
There’s nothing funnier than being lectured by a woman with three mega mansions, private jets, helicopters and yachts giving you a lecture on income inequality.
Besides politicians like Harris and Obama need your tax money to funnel to their worthwhile projects, you stay on the plantation or the reservation.
Think about when Oprah wouldn’t pay for clean up in her Hawaiian paradise neighborhood without asking the globe to chip in money? Did you notice Oprah pointed out to you that she votes Independent? Change your registration yet?
Pure theatre watching the billionaire thumb her nose at unequals Biden Harris Walz.
#Walkaway to independence like Oprah did. #NoDemocrats2024 in Arizona or any state.
This funded by radical elites left wing media like NYT MSNBC LAT AR continue to peddle Hamas and Hezbollah propaganda. Stop it, it’s wrong minded and against what America stands for. Unelect these radicals and stop buying the stuff they peddle.
RFK JR. JUST NOW:
“What most alarms me isn’t how the Democratic Party conducts its internal affairs or runs its candidates. What alarms me is the resort to censorship, and media control, and the weaponization of the Federal Agencies. When a U.S. President colludes with – or outright coerces – media companies to censor political speech, it’s an attack on our most sacred right of free expression.” #walkawaydemocrats2024
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed President Trump, its official, democrats must be fuming at the mouth, they’re unburdened by pretending to be democrats instead of a national political party out of control lying to us about inequality parity and other problems that don’t exist except where Joe and Kamala FUped right
4 more years is insanity with these inept government policies with worst VP in history at the head of it would be national suicide
Dangerous Conceit, Democrats. When Zuckerberg said he was really sorry, he lied, because he did a Facebook campaign against free speech targeting kids that words “triggered”. It failed. It failed when people were told to out their neighbors and restaurants and stores and family gatherings and police arrested them. Zuckerberg should step aside, unlike Musk, Zuckerburg is without morals and ethics and power mad. Remember when doors were nailed shut on multi stories buildings and when one caught on fire screaming people burned alive, similar to Russia pograms.
How do you people live with yourselves voting Democrat this time?
Wasn’t it Joe Scarborough compared RJKJr to Jeffrey Dalmar the serial killer? These Democracks Losers can’t stand losing as they sink lower and lower and the likes of MSNABC should be fired. There’s no soul in the Democratic Party any longer.
Bobby’s been attacked by everyone including his family and he’s one of the kindest persons in politics. Democrats have colluded and coupled themselves with Big Pharma and the Republicans promise to fix food supply chains, rivers and lakes water supply cleanliness issues (Democrats still haven’t fixed after 16 years in office) and find a way to bring a decline in autism. SCAB Fauci was a Nazi-like censor and like Zuckerberg who helped censor, we want NAMES! Media needs names of those who censored truth. Join the Trump Truth Train and uncouple the Democrackhead lies.
White House repeatedly pressured and censored us in America, like Hunter Biden’s laptop story that was true, but full page national ad signed by CIA head and others. They need to be called before Congress.
Resources? Lies?
STFU Trump you lost this Independent with your stupid comments and get back to talking about what needs fixing in the country other than your mouth – if you lose this election our country will be done for with that idiot pair of puppets – stop being a clown and I’ll consider voting otherwise I’m against every politician
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
— George Orwell, “1984”
Keep fighting against the most radical, unAmerican, woke moron Somalia had to offer America, Ilhan Omar. Unelect her! Stand up to her hate! She’s unworthy of representing people in this society and Somalians would never have her in any position of authority. No Vote For Omar is the right way to vote. Do it!
Americans have been destroyed by Harris’s votes to raise taxes on wages and tips for the least affluent, her ignorance about economics, her lack of depth and knowledge is considered the wasteland of politicians. CNN is allowing Walz to babysit her and to keep her hands out of the air and her mouth from repeating over and over nothing. Unburden us of this embarrassment in November and bring about change from her ruin of this nation. Inflation is destroying us.
Texas found a million plus they purged. Harris will continue her quest to destroy American democracy. Unelect all democrats for being anti Democracy.
Good morning. Great for a hike.
Iranian backed Houthi’s have caused a massive oil spill bigger than the Exxon Valdez. WTF Biden Harris. Joe’s laying on the beach and she’s got Walz to hold her hand and keep her mouth shut. Want change then vote Harris out of office –
She’s has been incompetent for four years!