Although only Bloomberg reported it, the Federal Reserve released its triennial “Summary of Consumer Finances” last Thursday. The survey covers changes in U.S. family finances from 2010 – 2013. Among the Fed’s findings: In the three years between 2010 and 2013, the annual income of a typical household fell by 5 percent. The Fed’s data makes clear the 5 percent drop occurred during the so-called “economic recovery.” In other words, there has been no genuine recovery from the crash of 2008.

@William S.– OMG, I am having trouble making up my mind which City Council members have egos ready to explode, which failed High School Civics and which are from Mars.

As you probably know, the City’s 1998 Ordinance dedicating one-half percent of all sales taxes toward non-sewer capital improvement funding was repealed approximately five years ago. Citizens were fed the B.S. that capital improvements would compete with all the myriad needs [legitimate and phony] for General Fund money, instead.

Concerned citizens–there has been no maintenance of strong reserves to ensure long-term financial stability or cure the City’s underinvestment in roads and drainage infrastructure. My simple trend analysis shows the City has spent more than it has taken in every year since 2010-2011. Excluding the current fiscal year, the total amounts to $9.75 million in reserves/savings depleted. To reiterate, the City’s current budget spends $10.6 million more than the revenues estimated to be realized.

Sedona is not a part of the National Government – we have the beautiful experience of being unique – until we have Angela and etc. elected who want to dumb us down to their concepts.

@William S.-You are absolutely correct in your assessment…love the concept of watching the swelled egos explode and oh hell and hope we don’t get the splatter throw back!!! I can’t even imagine how I could wash off the splatter back off my house and life!

Regarding the council run off: In my opinion Scott Jablow is just another rendition of yet another “Know it ALL and Be it All” who has absolutely NO Vested Interest in Sedona, other than the last whispers of his life…whereas the candidate Rio Robson actually works for a legitimate Sedona business, was raised in Sedona, and has a much better take on this town than any New Jersey transplant.

Rio really does know how to manage income and expenses, within a budget, for many years in the “great recession”…and beyond….as a major player in his business.

In my take, there is no one on council that l or any I know will trust as any one who has a brain, that actually has had to come to grips with the reality of a real City budget and a budget that simply has to sustain the original concept of Health, Safety and Welfare.

Seems to me it is time for us to Vote for a Real businessman in our community by the name of Rio Robson – rather than, yet again, another Transplant named Scott Jablow – who is living off of pensions, self imposed bravado as well as attempting to become a supposed leader in a town he is not vested in!

I Believe it is time for all registered voters to shake their sheets and get rid of the newest Bed Bugs and stick with a local guy that is young and smart, and who is committed to our town and Vested and actually not looking for a second job but a young man is willing to step up for one simple reason which is he is a real home grown guy!

The problem is that people don’t want to be confused with the facts. When the time comes for cropping expenditures be assured it won’t be to the Chamber of Commerce/Sedona Lodging Council. Their successful witch-hunt during this election sealed their fate for continued funding to promote the Chamber of Commerce and NOT City of Sedona as the farce of the contract for “destination marketing” would lead people to believe.

The true cost of those elected wasn’t for ads. It will be reflected in the shortfall of money for infrastructure necessities as a trade off to “pay back” the greedy ones that bought the new mayor and council members. Big time politics obviously are alive and well, even in small towns. Oh, excuse me. None on board of our controlling government seem to realize Sedona’s population is less than 10,000 (which is what they are elected to represent) since for some strange reason it appears their self-appointed charge extends to cover the entire Verde Valley. To what extent do egos swell before they explode?

The budget deficit will be a major subject for the new Council at their December retreat, no doubt about it.. A reminder to all: A runoff election between Rio and Scott Jablow is coming in November.

“According to the City Financial Services Department’s Schedules A and C (posted on its web pages), actual expenditures exceeded actual revenues by $5.1 million last fiscal year.”

So does this mean that All the folks at the City are doing the “shell Game” of manipulating the City Budget?

WoW! Nothing New for that gang of players.

Seems to me that the way they (all City Players) can get around this is they budget for certain things and then they don’t spend in those areas and/or “Let” or participate in those contracts to have them actually go to fruitarian – and then the City comes back and they move the unspent $$$ back out into other areas of the Budget to balance what they need to balance.. all in order to make the picture of the Budget look So Sweet……….and then there is the $$$ given to the Regional Chamber.

What most people do not understand – or seemingly do not want to understand – is the Shell Game that the City Plays!!!

William S. says: “Brace yourselves for a bumpy financial ride. But then it’s only about money. But whose ????”

William S is so very correct!…. when do we ALL wake up to this concept?

We are about to be beset upon/taken over (like the locusts do) by the Socialistic Angela and Sandy etc., who were elected and – who express NON Capitalist venues – and they will now dictate how this beautiful is supposed to survive???? What a crock!

Your logic and sensibility will fall on the deaf, blind, and mute. Otherwise the election results would have been different.

The present city council will have between now and the general election to activate who-knows-what before four of them bid us a fond farewell the middle of November. You are correct. This council and those before them haven’t given a hoot about the negative spending and horrendous decisions that one way or another must be reconciled at some point in time.

Having observed recent council meetings and the increased frequency the majority of council has ignored recommendations of staff and city manager, it’s little wonder Tim Ernster has announced his intention to resign in the very near future. Surely he’s aware of the ambitious agenda ahead, all extremely expensive. In addition those elected were hand selected by Chamber and affiliates in order to assure their ongoing financial “in” with city funding. It will only get worse. Just wait. Not intended to be a negative outlook, just realistic. But it’s what the voters have chosen and apparently want to happen. How receptive will these same voters be when new methods of taxation are on the table?

End result? Who knows for sure. But the one “for sure” thing is the piggy bank is being drained at a rapid rate as you have accurately pointed out and it will only increase with the fast track to implement the revised Community Plan in all its glory.

Tritely speaking: It is what it is. If this council and past councils had truly wanted community harmony they would NEVER have made so many in-your-face decisions that apparently at least one person on city staff can no longer stomach. (IMO)

The “then” is history having left a pretty smelly stigma; and tomorrow the “now” will be history. But it’s the “tomorrow” that should be the focus and taken very, very seriously which clearly isn’t even a part or partial of the agenda presently on the table. Brace yourselves for a bumpy financial ride. But then it’s only about money. But whose ????

According to the City Financial Services Department’s Schedules A and C (posted on its web pages), actual expenditures exceeded actual revenues by $5.1 million last fiscal year. Yet, given this disaster and estimated revenues of $27.8M for the here and now (FY 2014-2015), the City Council went ahead and irresponsibly budgeted expenditures of $38.4 million. In other words, the Council didn’t care about its spending $5.1 million more than it took in last year, and plans to spend $10.6 million more than it estimates it will take in this year. Further depleting reserves/savings set aside by much earlier Councils is the name of the game.

The budgeted expenditures of $38.4 million for the here and now (FY 2014-2015) must be reduced and the reserves increased by the new Council that will be seated in November.

To get back to scratch I have copied my thoughts under my name:

The MINORITY of the “Majority” voted in this last election.. . and look at what we are left with? A True Travesty. What BS.

When do our registered voters really take a stance like they did back in Nov of 2011 when we – over 70% of us – told that Council to get a grip, get a life and WE over turned their supposed intelligence that was not going to work for our majority of thinking voters????

The results were we still don’t own 89A in W. Sedona and life has gone one in good ways….Opps – until you see that Barbara Litrell is still Moaning and growing about the reality of the Public Vote…and she still wants some dumb laser lights. OMG!

Red Rock News just spins what ever they want to as – its “perceived” as their “all knowing” stances …They want us to believe that their “.good” – or “educated” and “personal” aspects of Telling Us Small Folks how to think! is what we all should believe in . That is their crap and not ours.

Our little town is in for a big heap of bad times with entitlements and etc as their main goals…..and we have a council woman who got more votes than our mayor?????? OMG. Hang On Folks…………realize that the games have just begun.

When do our registered voters really take a stance like they did back in Nov of 2011 when we – over 70% of us – told that Council to get a grip, get a life and WE over turned their supposed intelligence that was not going to work for our majority of thinking voters????

The results were we still don’t own 89A in W. Sedona and life has gone one in good ways….Opps – until you see that Barbara Litrell is still Moaning and growing about the reality of the Public Vote…and she still wants some dumb laser lights. OMG!

Red Rock News just spins what ever they want to as – its “perceived” as their “all knowing” stances …They want us to believe that their “.good” – or “educated” and “personal” aspects of Telling Us Small Folks how to think! is what we all should believe in . That is their crap and not ours.