Councilors;
No rate increases until there are 30% salary decreases for the top echelon of City Staff who I am told are undeservedly making an average of $60/hr.
No rate increase until you stop giving money away to the Chamber of Commerce, the Main Street Program, so-called “artists”, so-called “events”, and every group with their hands out.
No rate increase until you stop funding empty RoadRunner buses that do nothing but go around in circles all day wasting fuel.
No rate increase until you slash the City’s bureaucracy by eliminating the Arts & Cultural Dept., the surfeit of in-house lawyers, and the Parks and Rec. Dept. with all its nonsensical “programs” that only a fraction of residents, if any, use.
The City is in a spending crisis, not a revenue crisis. No rate increase until you demonstrate financial responsibility and stop wasting money.
Sincerely,
Warren Woodward
Sedona
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Dear Mayor Adams and City Council Members:
Sedonans who have lived here for any length of time and also newcomers are greatly discouraged over the actions of City Hall! Does it really do any good to let our voices be heard? Is there anyone there really listening?
Case in point: On Feb. 23rd there is going to be a decision made to determine whether the waste water fee issue should go forward.
There have been protests galore – not just chatter, but well-reasoned arguments against such a move. What is it going to take to bring some sanity to this debate??
When the waste water system was approved by voters in the late 80’s, we were told emphatically that part of the sales tax revenues would be used to fund the cost in order to keep fees at $32 – 33 per month for residences. That was a high figure then and it remains so today.
Now, simply because of some recent waste water study there is a pending decision to renege and put much more of the allocated sales tax into the General Fund, “where it is needed’. Baloney!
First of all, the original studies back in the 80’s were seriously flawed as to both cost of system and revenue flow. Now another recent study is also deemed to be flawed by those who have independently studied it. So what else is new? Maybe if there were less of our money spent for all of these studies that often
are not worth much more than the paper on which they’re written, we today would be in better financial shape.
Secondly, the argument is made by the City that we must live with the conditions we find ourselves in at this point. This is true in some respects. However, the Sedona average Joe had nothing to do with the reckless spending of past years or the poor decisions by the City, but he most certainly has to bear the brunt of them.
You elected officials had or should have had some knowledge of the status at City Hall, so it is up to you to find a solution that does NOT add more of a burden to folks during such difficult times financially.
We can’t do it, but you all can! You have the power to solve this mess equitably. So far, we are not seeing it.
Lastly, here is a positive suggestion: Since we seem to be spending money like a drunken sailor with no real end in sight, why don’t you consider keeping the portion of sales tax revenue in the wastewater system, at the same amount it has been,
and doing something very novel? Novel, indeed! Try reducing spending equivalent to that
amount which would not be going into the General Fund. Therefore, the General Fund would benefit from reduced spending; Sedonans would benefit from stationary sewer rates, and the Wastewater Fund would still have the benefit of sales tax
revenue. This would not be a long-term solution to the massive debt burdening the City, but it would be a start.
Times are tough, and it is time for the City to tighten its belt. All of these grandiose ideas about West Sedona development and other longer-range projects are going to have to be put on hold.
Furthermore, the Roadrunner is running us out of money.
For what? Every time I see it there is very little, if any, patronage. What a waste!
Also, the Staff – both number and amounts of salaries – need to be examined and evaluated with the “gloves off”.
How can you in your right minds have such disregard for the common Sedonan and expect us to look with favor on salary ranges of this magnitude?
There are too many planners, too many lawyers, etc., for the size of this city. I do not agree with cuts in salary for Councilors.
Please do not consider these comments as mean-spirited. They are given to try to help you understand the plight of Sedona average Joe and Jane.
This is the way most of us see this situation. We are disgusted and dismayed!
Increasing the sewer rates for residents while decreasing the annual amount of sales tax revenues going into the sewer fund from 46% to 20% provides the City Council the financial means to continue its long, ugly trail of fiscal irresponsibility fueled by enormous debt.
Homeowners who got themselves in too much debt had to pay big-time. Many lost their homes. Sedona City Hall, on the other hand, will escape paying the piper via dumping a sizeable portion of the tab for its excess onto the backs of citizens.
The sewer rate increase will be phased in over the next ten years. Residents could very well see their $32.54 monthly sewer fee rise to $57.28 per month in FY 2014/15. By FY 2019/20 it is projected to increase to $75.08 per month.
The Mayor and Council of the City of Sedona will hold a Public Hearing on their “Notice of Intention to Increase Wastewater Rates” on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall Council chambers.