I beg to differ with you.

Collecting delinquent sales taxes, business license taxes and wastewater fees from businesses is something that every municipality in Arizona and the rest of the nation has been doing for many years, as required by State and Municipal laws. It’s the cost for doing business in our community. The proceeds from these fees go into paying the cost of the services being provided to our local businesses, instead of imposing additional taxes for the non business community in Sedona so that they could subsidize the businesses who are delinquent. Unfortunately for the City and fortunately for the delinquent local businesses, those who were delinquent were able to get away with it scot free…till the City of Sedona wisely decided to pursue this matter further and collect what was due and deny any city permits to those who were in arrear.

I compliment our City Manager, Tim Ernster, and his Assistant City Manager, Karen Daines, for going the extra mile to explain to us why the City is doing this.

Collecting fees have and will never be popular with those businesses that have not paid what was legitimately owed to the City of Sedona. Instead, they were subsidized by the rest of the businesses that did what they were required to do, as well as the rest of the local tax payers. Shame on those who took advantage of the City’s good will and it’s time that you did your share!

No Steve, the article by Mr. Ernster was NOT “more bogus justifications for increased fees & high paid jobs in a depression.” As a local taxpayer I am extremely satisfied that he and his staff are upholding the law and doing exactly what they were hired to do. Keep up the good work!

A.Koniarsky
Sedona, AZ