In the meantime, let us not overlook a recent expensive full page Diamond Resorts ad touting their earnings of $96,232.96 in the first quarter of 2013, that representing an average of $32,077.65 per month. The significance being that this is the take-over company of the failed ILX previous owners of Los Abrigados who at least during their tenure initiated the annual Festival of Lights AT NO EXPENSE TO THE CITY.

And now this Diamond Resorts International tell us they can no longer afford to continue the lights because their timeshare property owners cannot afford the expense. Come on BIG DIAMOND. With assets like yours why would you expect them to do so?

What’s the real reason? Ha. City Council Chumps will next be approving Sedona’s Mother of Teresa aka Jennifer Wesselhoff on her newest mission to save Sedona’s Festival of Lights by allegedly soliciting local businesses (already struggling to keep their doors open) to cough up $$$$ to keep the wonderful event afloat.

Translated: Diamond Resorts, being the success they claim to be, have very quickly picked up on the never-ending march to City Hall with palms outstretched which (anyone care to differ)? is exactly where this plea for “saving the lights” will end up.

Any screwball ideas to expand the Festival of Lights to State Highways (Thank God to ADOT) will no doubt be promptly squished because of their right-of-way restrictions. However, that would not apply to the less than one mile stretch uptown and so, break out your checkbook residents who choose to remain silent, as you will soon be ordered to pay, pay, pay for more, more, more nonsense and now to include the electricity bill for all those lights on the horizon. APS will love it as they proceed to install Smart Meters in this peculiar place with priorities that transcend even outer space.

At the same time the Chamber and Lodging Gods and Goddess…opps – Members – keeps crying poor. Who is right? look at the city site and their monthly financial reports and then make up your own mind as taxes are not stable. so I’m guessing the town is not as rich as they want us to believe.

If the citizens – us lost children or stepchildren (as council would like to believe we are), just keep our mouths permanently shut – unless we say what they want to hear – well then we are just dumber than dumb citizens, cuz we don’t call them out on their garbage.

Time to stop the silence!!!

But, they forget we have brains and in asking for financial accountability and for a council who can stop thinking about their trumped up want lists – and get back to representing us. that is how we really become good citizens.

the council really doesn’t want us voters at meetings because they put them at a time when business owners are still doin buizness! if we all keep our smart brains silent – well ya just let the people who have no vested interest – or very little – have full control! Time for us to take charge of our destiny and tell they fools to just stop!!! Enough!

Another person posted a comment about silence implying agreement and if the voters in Sedona sit in silence especially with a rosy portrayal of the city finances, then shame on them. They will deserve the fate thrown at them by the city council, city staff, chamber of corrupsion, and lodging affiliates. Are we to remain “stepchildren” or step out of the shadow and take our place as number one in line for at least adequate service from this failing city?

What a hoot! The city is considering fleecing us via General Obligation Bonds, Special Improvement Districts, or a sales tax increase because it is doing fine financially?

The air is perfectly clear. Truthiness from City Hall is an endangered species.

That wastewater plant doesn’t work because out of area engineers used models that didn’t reflect Sedona. We have cloudy days unlike Phoenix and it’s cold here and that causes less evaporation and different engineering models then what was used to design the plant and ponds. That’s why the forest land needs to be sprayed to get rid of the water. We have different engineering issues here and all this consulting by out of area engineers keeps shooting us in the foot. Get smart. Literally. You’ve got some of the best engineers in the country in Sedona and northern AZ that beat Phx hands down. It’s easy to engineer a desert and doesn’t require much education. It’s difficult to engineer mountains and rocks.

NO, I AM NOT “SHARLETT.” In fact, if someone carefully reads input from both of us they will clearly see differences in our opinions (as well as agreement on some issues.)

This is a bit of a throwback to the days of some unknown writer by the name of “Liz Smith” whom as I recall did publicity for advocates against owning SR89A.

For some reason that finger was also pointed in my direction and I can assure you, same as “Sharlett,” I was NOT Liz Smith and have no idea who he/she/it was then or now.

Got it?

E. Maddock

We have an assistant city manager giving a glowing review of the city’s financial state of affairs at the meeting on July 23. We then have a council member criticizing her for having done so, indicating in reality Sedona is next to being broke.

This is followed up by the ultimatum at the meeting on July 30 that unless residents are willing to agree to open-ended property taxes or other means of lien attachments in order to finance the reinvention of the drainage system, not to mention continue to subsidize the never-ending upgrades (or whatever) to the sewer plant, they plain and simply will be out of luck. This threat wasn’t even veiled, it was blatant.

Available city money will continue to be spent on purchasing vacant land for more parks, art in public places, and the many other non-essential frivolous niceties(?) as were itemized in a previous commentary made by Jean. As increased bed taxes will not add one penny to city coffers, our leaders refuse to revisit reallocating Development Impact Fees, transferring them from being in a holding tank for purchasing more vacant land to where they are really needed: To benefit residents by protecting properties from flooding.

Any other reductions to the budget which would serve to aid citizens’ living conditions are likewise “unthinkable.” The only “gift” we receive from City Hall is the criticism that we are not paying our fair share. For what? Infrastructure that prior to incorporation was part and parcel of the responsibility of Yavapai and Coconino Counties when Sedona was under their jurisdictions?

Any new money except implementation of property taxes coming into the city will go towards improvements for a city park and possible creek walk on the yet to be finalized purchase of the Brewer Road property not to mention the corner property at the “Y” intersection. Further, we citizens have no guarantee that if our properties were to be taxed that the money wouldn’t also be manipulated into a fund to subsidize these special “niceties” which have clamored and remain in top position for far too long.

And it seems our mayor’s latest endeavor might be to discredit any and all who indicate they know more about the true facts of the city budget than the city themselves. Does that mean, then, that the city is financially and securely solvent? In which case there really isn’t any need for any of the whimsical discussion about raising taxes?

Somewhere within this endless maze there must be some measure of what is real and what is fiction. What’s the answer?

Thanks for another Great job done by Eddie – you are spot on and keep us informed!.

Thanks to Jean for her number crunching and eye on the budget and Karen Daines (Jean – I totally agree with you there!)

There was another great comment made by someone correctly questing just how many tax’s can be born by our tourists.

Many thoughtful comments and wouldn’t it just be wonderful if any Council Member would get engaged in this process? (when pigs fly – cuz I guess it takes them outside their comfort zone?)

It was clearly obvious (and can be verified by viewing the 7/31/13 Council meeting) that Council had already made up their minds well prior to the 7/31/13 meeting to increase the Bed Tax- does that meet the ARS “sniff” standards? Thinking Not!

Don’t I also remember chamber President and CEO saying they took the Sales Tax issue off the table until they had done a better job of selling it to the business and residents?

The Lodging (Afinitiy) Group went around town telling all listerns that the .5% Bed Tax increase was a “done deal”. From what I’ve heard – the Chamber did the very same.

My hunch is Council’s next move will be to hike the Sales Tax… A Little bit down the road – as they have figured out that is “the least time consuming and no automatic public vote means of getting money to pay for their wish list of ego driven and none essential necessary health, safety and welfare issues.”

So let’s all stay tuned and be vigilante, with patience, and watch the moves of this council to see what lengths they will go to get the bucks to complete their perceived short term dream wish lists of non essentials….at our expense.

Think about it folks: Property Tax and Go Bonds Both require public votes. A Special District overlay requires a majority of those in that district to sign off on…and all those property owners can say No!.

What is not requiring a public vote is a hike in Sales Taxes!!!

So since the City Attorney, at both the 3/14/13 and 7/31/13, meetings, explained: “if there is no increase in the Sales Tax – than the entire amount dervived from the newly generated Bed Tax hike – Must Go To Tourism!

WhileI don’t have a crystal ball – I think I do see the future: Sales Tax % will be raised above the newely increased Bed Tax % so Council can take a portion of the Bed Tax back into their coffers and take the entire amount of a new sales tax hike they don’t have to take to the voters.

Also, the Chamber and lodging groups requested the city to do an “Additional line item “for” (from) city” of $100,000 and then they want the City to match the $150,000 in Private funds in new /donations or revenue from the new Bed Tax hike. Then they also said the Chamber would get another $150,000 out of their members/community.

WoW!!! Money amounts are flying around like kites on a windless day!