Home » From The Readers, Letters to the Editor » Sedona Fire District Election 2012

Sedona Fire District Election 2012

Dear Friends, Supporters and Residents of the Sedona Fire District, 

Recently, in historical accomplishment, you successfully recalled three members of the SFD Governing Board. Then, in an overwhelming victory, on May 15, 2012, you elected Nazih Hazime, Diane Schoen, and Corrie Cooperman to replace them.

In this short time, your new Board’s progress has been exceptional and they are proud to represent your interests within the District. Their goals to establish financial stability, protect your professional emergency services and work within the limits of authority are being decisively accomplished.

Diane and Corrie will serve the remaining two years of their predecessors’ terms but Nazih’s seat, and one other, are open for election in November.

Two of the recalled – then defeated – SFD Governing Board members have already declared their candidacy!

WE CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO SUCCEED! Nor can we allow them to “buy” the next election! Current SFD Governing Board Member, Nazih Hazime, and Sedona City Planning and Zoning Commissioner, Scott Jablow, are opposing their run.

Nazih and Scott will continue working toward a healthy future for your Fire District through strategic planning, fiscal responsibility, and professional training. They will adhere to – not work to avoid – Open Meeting Laws ensuring transparency and public involvement while guarding against wasteful and unnecessary spending.

They cannot do it alone.

They do not have political parties to fund their campaigns. 

Their successful election depends entirely on the financial support of every citizen in this District. Only YOU can effectively safeguard continuity within the community, ethical Board practices, and compliance with the roles and responsibilities of a Fire Board. 

Keep your political donations LOCAL — where they matter the most — where they can most directly — and immediately — BENEFIT YOU! 

Nazih and Scott are depending on you to financially demonstrate your ongoing support for their efforts on your behalf. 

Please consider the amount(s) you would like to contribute up to a maximum of $430.00 per person /$860.00 per couple for each candidate you support. Then choose one candidate or divide that amount between the two. Finally, please complete a Donation Form as required by Arizona State Law, then return both to:

LaRae Henry, Treasurer for committees Hazime and Jablow, 345 Verde Valley School Road, Sedona, Arizona 86351.

For even greater convenience, please visit our website at www.sfdelections.com and use your credit card to complete your contribution and Donation Form through PayPal. 

Thank you again for your ongoing support and for caring about YOUR Sedona Fire District. 

Respectfully,

Karen Schmitt
Sedona AZ
 
P.S. Your generosity today will bring election success in November. Early contribution is essential!
 

For the best Sedona Arizona News and Views? Subscribe to www.SedonaEye.com today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

65 Comments

  1. You think maybe they were coming back from a run and decided to stop at the IGA on the way back!! Would that be alright with you Glenn!!??

  2. Just saw Tony Tonsich’s assertion on Sedona Eye that Chief Hazime is responsible for recommending what became the McGladrey audit.

    Where did you get that one, Tony? Totally untrue!

    That all was started by SFD “haters” like Mr. Zirinsky, who ultimately got his way and caused SFD to spend $190,000 for nothing.

    To my knowledge, he has never apologized for wasting nearly a quarter of a million dollars of taxpayers’ money and insisting on the meaningless audit to question SFD’s reputation.

    One would think Zirinsky and Tonsich would know better than to try to blame the former Chief for suggesting the forensic audit, since this happened BEFORE Nazih was even hired as Chief!!!

    So, please don’t blame it on him. Mr. Tonsich and the other SFD haters have lost all credibility with the public. Have you noticed? Even their puppets, Blauert and Erick, have withdrawn from the November fireboard election, leaving Hazime and Jablow to run unopposed.

    For your information, the following minutes verify the above information, and are included on SFD’s website.

    “2/28/09 Budget Workshop Minutes:

    Mr. Harr said he respected the public’s opinions and that is what democracy is all about. He then said the Board, along with staff, is trying to bring the budget tighter in control in this present economy.

    Mr. Zirinsky then suggested SFD have a labor and benefit cost study done, and if he is wrong, he would admit it. Mr. Harr said he felt that would be impossible to do before the budget is finalized, and Mr. Zirinsky said he did not expect that to be done now, but within the next year, and said it should be done by an outside, independent labor consulting firm.

    Ms. Daines asked for and received permission from Mr. Harr to address this issue; she said it has been the practice of SFD and the policy of the previous Board that SFD employees are not the highest or lowest paid in the industry based on market comparables; every time that our district enters into labor negotiations with the two employee groups, Human Resources undertakes the salary survey process, using certain standard organizations against which we benchmark, and have maintained our pay scale in between the high and the low.

    Ms. Daines said recently, an Arizona fire service consultant has done the comps, and SFD ordered that wage analysis, which could be provided to the Board and the public.

    She further said if the public does not trust that number and wants an outside consultant to do a market analysis study, it would cost approximately $30,000, but Ms. Daines believes it would come very close to the same numbers.

    She said our employees are not overpaid, and the cost of living in Sedona is very high and most of our employees cannot afford to live here; she argued that cost of living for the community should absolutely be figured into salaries.

    Mr. Harr said when he was on the SFD Citizens Task Force, he found the average salary/benefit package for fire departments was 80% to 82% of their budgets; he believes Mr. Zirinsky made his point and, if nothing else, this dialogue gets everyone thinking about tightening the belt.

    He then recognized Craig Dible, who said that former-Fire Chief Matt Shobert who became Fire Chief in Hemet, California, recently was forced to close a station and lay-off firefighters; additionally, city council members have recommended an independent audit of how the fire and police departments spend their budgets; he pointed out this process is not unique to Sedona and cut-backs are happening; he concluded by saying that he is sure Chief Shobert had no idea he would be facing this when he moved.”

  3. Karen, if it takes 5 minutes we need to hire someone that can move faster than a caterpillar. You can make up all the excuses you want but they don’t do that in the big cities.

  4. Tom Longo says:

    I seems like a lifetime ago when I wrote the attached posting. Sixteen months later, the SFD taxpayers were able to prove that “Only the residents of the SFD District can decide how this will play itself out. It’s time to get involved before it’s too late!”

    Thank you for making it all happen!!!

    Sedona Fire District Staff Insubordinate?
    sedona times / April 30, 2011 / 6 Comments

    Dear Sedona Eye editor:

    I attended my first SFD Governing Board meeting (Tuesday’s Budget Workshop) since the election of the board and I was amazed by the lack of respect shown to the first professional Chief they have had for quite a long time.

    The Chairman, Dave Blauert, kept on addressing Chief Hazime as “Mr. Hazime” the entire meeting…and I know that it was intentional. Even though that meeting was meant to allow the public to speak out, since this Wednesday they voted on the 2011/12 budget without public input. It was obvious that there was no intention on the part of the Chairman to allow for citizen’s input. The majority of this board has thrown all democratic principles out the window and don’t care what anyone has to say about it. The sad part is that they were allowed to get away with it.

    Near the end of the Tuesday meeting, Mr. Blauert read a statement dealing with “insubordination by senior members of the SFD staff (meaning Chief Hazime) that was meant as his “last warning before further action is taken.” Seems to me that they are trying to force the Chief out because he is not willing to undertake their reckless actions that will negatively impact all of the residents of the SFD District.

    What the new majority of the SFD Governing board fails to realize is that his job as a professional in his field is to protect the lives and properties of the residents/businesses in his district and not cover up for their lack of knowledge and experience. Anything less on his part would be dereliction of duty. They are the ones who are guilty of insubordination. They were NOT elected, nor are they competent to tell the Chief how to do his job. Their constant micromanagement of this professional organization will endanger the lives and properties of its residents.

    It’s indeed ironic, that Mr. Blauert, the son of the woman who helped as a volunteer to set up what became our initial fire department, is the one who will be instrumental in leading the dismantling of an extremely successful fire district.

    It’s a very sad day when the residents of our fire district are standing by and allowing an inexperienced board to decide the fate of our lives.

    As appropriately stated by Jim Buehler in an editorial in today’s Red Rock News: “Who on the board is qualified to decide the manpower and support equipment sufficient to respond to both a heart attack in West Sedona, and a fire in the Village of Oak Creek at the same time? Which member is qualified to determine the appropriate training and support to handle our rural and urban settings? We know the qualifications of SFD Fire Chief Nazih Hazime to make these decision; what are the fire board’s?”

    I would rather leave that call to the man we spent a lot of money seeking out, and whose credentials are impeccable. That’s why we hired him, right?…Let the Chief determine our protection needs, not civilian wannabees. That’s what we hired him for.

    Only the residents of the SFD District can decide how this will play itself out. It’s time to get involved before it’s too late!

    Tom Longo
    Sedona, AZ

  5. Blog Watcher says:

    Glenn

    You didn’t comment at all on the International Cell Phone article. That failure shows more of who you really are than any of the hateful spewing you choose to post. Maybe you should keep you eye more on the donut instead of your version of its hole. You might have a sweeter dispostion AND a sweeter life.

  6. Tony Tonsich says:

    Karen,

    Check the Board minutes just before Hazime ” resigned”, He put the then board on notice that they needed to seek professional guidance if they were to go against his program. That instigated the report.

    Calling me a liar when your facts are wrong just shows where you are coming from.

    Last time we had firefighters wives on the board we got a ladder truck and record setting budgets. Property values were going up, and they made sure every penny was spent.

    We will see if Hazime merges Sedona fire with Verde Valley Fire to build his little empire, those on fixed incomes property taxes will be raised to fund his ego.

    Perhaps Chief Kazian can keep things sane, he seems to be a good man. With the free spending makeup of the current board, I wish him luck.

    Have a nice day!

  7. Tom Longo says:

    Tony, I will let Karen answer most of your comments. If my memory serves me right, before he resigned, Hazime suggested getting some professional guidance to help bring peace between SFD staff and the out-of-control newly-elected board. Needless to say, that Board rejected it.

    As far as getting the 100ft ladder truck, we are all very fortunate that those “firefighters wives” went ahead to approve the purchase of a demo fire truck that would have cost us over $1 Million brand new instead of just over $800K used. That very same ladder truck has saved our lives many times over!

    No one is calling you a liar, Tony, you just don’t seem to have the knack to get the facts straight. I heard somewhere that you aspired to become an attorney. One of the key requirements for that profession, is to make sure that your facts are correct before you plead your case. Well, Counselor, time to hit the books!

  8. karen says:

    Glenn,

    Just two things:

    1) Sedona is not a “big city,” and that is the reason many of us have chosen to live here.
    2) If you are happier with the way big cities operate, need I state the obvious?

  9. Well Karen unless they are slower than a snail it wouldn’t take anywhere near 5 minutes. I had a company vehicle but it was for work only, not grocery shopping. I figured out how to do grocery shopping after work. Matter of fact really only had to grocery shop once a week anyway.

  10. Glenn. You don’t know what you’re talking about!!!! You say it doesn’t go on in big cities!!!!! I got news for you, every Fire company in NYC goes out at least once, if not twice a day, to shop for the daily meal. (lunch and dinner), so shut up already with your hate filled misinformed rants.

  11. Rich, I wasn’t talking about you east coast buddies as we all know the high taxes the people pay there. I was referring to our local cities, know how crooked NYC is just don’t want to copy them. Since you mention NYC now know why there is no limit in your mind on spending policies.

  12. Glenn!!! The more you speak the more it shows your ignorance!!!!

  13. Rich a true liberal when you have nothing intelligence to say just attack the individual. Try hard to have a intelligence debate. Of course people like you think that only what they have to say is important.

  14. Hey Glenn just because I think it’s ok for Fireman to go food shopping with the rig parked outside the food store doesn’t mean anything except that!!!!

  15. Rich when you call people ignorant that was the issue not the fireman going shopping for food in your last statement. Yes I am ignorant have put my son thru college, own two homes paid for, pay cash when buying new vehicles and had the money to retire at 63. So if that is ignorant than I accept being one.

Leave a Reply

Copyright © 2008-2017 · Sedona Eye · All Rights Reserved · Posts · Comments · Facebook · Twitter ·