Sedona AZ (March 7 2011) – This is a Sedona Times Publishing and SedonaEye.com breaking news alert!
A grass roots group of Sedona residents and business owners have organized to oppose Sedona City Council’s 4-3 vote passed by Council on February 22, 2011 when the City decided to take ownership of SR 89A through a Route Transfer Agreement between the State and the City. Let The People Vote on 89A, a Political Committee (PAC) filed on March 8, 2011, to stop the Route Transfer of 89A to the City of Sedona.
The Let The People Vote on 89A committee intends to force a special election through the Referendum and Initiative process and thereby letting the residents make the final decision.
Let The People Vote on 89A is spearheaded by Sheri Graham, past Sedona City Council Member. Says Graham, “I’ve lived here for 33 years and I’ve watched this town grow and prosper for about 3,000 to 13,000 people. The State of Arizona is big and can afford this road. Our small town cannot sustain this financial burden. This is a State Highway that the Arizona Department of Transportation can and should maintain.”
Graham adds, “The majority of the council ignored the professional survey they paid for, that expressed the voice of the people. While ADOT’s monetary offer seems generous, we are talking about taking over a State Highway with no plan in place and no firm or confirmed costs associated with it. While $10 million sounds like a lot of money, it is but a drop in the bucket for continued maintenance and improvements. Our small town simply can not sustain this burden and maintain minimum standards and services that any city should maintain. This road will become the primary fiscal focus of our city’s budget and compromise its resident’s basic needs. City control of the section of SR89A designated in the Transfer Agreement with ADOT, and no street lights, does not justify the magnitude of endless cost and liabilities. We feel we – the residents of Sedona – are being set up for the perfect financial storm.”
The stated goal of Let The People Vote on 89A is to obtain more than sufficient petition signatures to force a Special Election for a Referendum and Initiative that will stop the Route Transfer and put the decision in the hands of the registered voters. Petition sheets will be available Wednesday, March 9, 2011.
Graham said interested parties may contact the web site www.letthepeoplevoteon89A.com or email lettthepeoplevoteon89a@gmail.com.
Unless the money doesn’t make it to the bank, the deal is done! It would be better and wiser to move on and participate in the planning process.
So Sherry Graham, is your Main Street funding being challenged? If road improvements go to West Sedona to be walkable and user friendly are you going to have to share nickels and dimes that the tax collector brings in and the Council doles out exclusively for uptown program and the chamber? Wonder what the real estate companies asking agents to sign up have to gain by joining this action? Nada to worrying about Sedona finances down the road because this is about Main Street and uptown and follow the money NOW.
let’s wait and see who signs this recall & count me in to start boycotting a few local business people – come on sedona & visitors & join me – sick of these troublemakers – we may be a town of 13000 but a few dozen or so make our town a laughingstock
glad i live in jerome, sedonans have been beamed up so many times they now follow graham crackers
a friend told me about this news but cannot understand why these people are upset because most of us voted that we didn’t want the lights and that to me means that we finally had a council that represented our wishes? what am I missing?
HUH? I’m rooting for reality.
To: “Honest retired real estate man” (an oxymoran): What does Sheri Graham have to do with the “Main Street funding” to which you referred? I don’t think you know what you are talking about. Not a great reflection on your industry are you?
I am so opposed to the City taking over 89A I need petitions to start getting signed. Where can I get them??
The taxpaying voters of Sedona should determine this issue, not a one-vote council majority. I believe the 89A take-back is unwise given the certain increased liability that will result, and the uncertain costs to alter/maintain the road going forward. But, let the majority vote of the taxpayers, who will have to bear the financial burden, decide.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A multibillion-dollar highway and transit construction fund is healthy enough to support current and future projects despite its dependence on gas tax revenue, the transport secretary said.
Senators this week expressed concern to transport chief Ray LaHood over the impact rising gas prices, now at an average $3.50 per gallon, could have on the trust fund that was bailed out in 2008 after it nearly ran dry.
La Hood told a senate hearing on Thursday the Highway Trust Fund should remain solvent through September 2012. He did not envision the need for another bailout.
Gas tax revenues were under pressure before the recent spike in gas prices due to less driving by motorists in a difficult economy and more fuel efficient vehicles.
Gas tax receipts recovered following the recession but analysts expect them to fall again.
so this referendum that i got an email last night about, what’s your position on no lights? are you a “yes lights” group hiding behind this referendum?
Let the People Vote on 89A
http://www.LetThePeopleVoteOn89a.com
LetThePeopleVoteOn89a@gmail.com
Our Headquarters Office is Open!
2030 W. Hwy 89A (Between Coffee Pot Restaurant and M& I Bank)
“Let the People Vote on 89A” thanks ALL of the concerned and interested citizens who have responded to our website and the issue of the ownership of Hwy 89A. I personally thank you for the hundreds of emails and website postings. Your generous donations and offers to help will allow us to successfully gather all of the signatures needed to force a VOTE by the PEOPLE on the ownership of Hwy 89A.
We have been very busy and as promised we want to keep you informed.
We have opened up our headquarters office at Sedona Center (between Coffee Pot Restaurant and M & I Bank) 2030 W. Hwy 89A.
Please stop by Friday, March 11 between 1pm-5pm for the Grand Opening of the office. Starting Saturday, March 12 our Headquarters will be open everyday of the week 10am-5 pm. If interested in collecting signatures or volunteering at the headquarter office please email us at LetThePeopleVoteOn89a@gmail.com. Please keep your offers of donations and your offers of help coming to us, as we only have until March 24th to turn in all of the signatures. YOU are the grassroots effort that will allow the registered voters the right to VOTE on the ownership of Hwy. 89A. Any and all donation gratefully accepted at our website http://www.LetThePeopleVoteon89a.com.
We have successfully filed our Referendum and Initiative paperwork with the city of Sedona. We are ready to accept your Petition signatures at our headquarters.
Sheri Graham
Chair – Let the People Vote on Hwy 89A
So Sheri, since You are taking the stand of Voting, are You going to be accepting Pro-Safety signatures also?
Hey “Tempest in a Teapot”, I likeYour Boycott idea.
Scare tactics and information that is not quite factual, as presented by certain City officials and personnel, do not deter “Let The People Vote on 89A” from utilizing Arizona Revised Statues and citizens’ Constitutional Rights to continue moving forward with gathering Referendum and Initiative petition signatures.
This is NOT a done deal, as the City would like you to believe. Every citizen has the legal right to express their opinion through the Referendum and Initiative process. Those Constitutional Rights are the intended goal of “Let The People Vote on 89A”
Sheri Graham, Chair
“Let The People Vote on 89A”
There’s considerable confusion regarding whether or not a Referendum/Initiative process would halt the SR89A route transfer. As a point of clarification, I received the following information from Sheri Graham, Chair of “Let the People Vote on 89A.” The exact State Statute to which Ms. Graham refers will be provided at the organization’s earliest convenience. Momentarily they are overwhelmed with activity, and time constraints factor into the temporary delay to provide that specific information. Stand by . . .
Eddie Maddock
Reply by Chairperson, Sheri Graham: “You are correct in that the Transfer Agreement does contain language regarding the $10m. However, the actual transference of that sum does not stop the clock on what registered voters are, by Arizona State Revised Statutes, allowed to do when it comes to a legislative ( policy, or major policy) action made by a city council.
State law allows voters the right to question that vote through a Referendum process. By obtaining the required amount of signatures of registered voters, in our jurisdiction, on the Referendum Petitions and filing them with the City and having the petitions accepted by the City – effectively – all actions stop on the Transfer until the people vote on the 89A issue.
The transfer does not automatically take place just because they transfer money IF the voters decide other wise.
Our group has retained legal council and I have personally read the Statutes regarding these issues.
I sincerely hope my answers have helped clarify some or all of your concerns. ~~ Sheri Graham”
Please feel free to send this out to any and all. We invite all to attend our Court hearing regarding correct petition dates in Prescott on Monday, March 21st at 2 PM Div 1 room 301 with Judge Mackey. Or send a letter to either letthpeoplevoteon89a@gmail.com or to sheri@sedona.net Thanks very much – Sheri Graham, Chair of Let The People Vote on 89A Committee
so everything going on is a mass of confusion and lots of BS
show us some mercy and give us peace and quiet
Didn’t all this light business start because a citizen had a concern about human life and crossing the street in front of Circle K? How many people have been hit by a car and killed there over the years? 3 – 4? It might even be higher. We seem to have lost sight of this fact.
Unfortunately, egocentricity, manipulation, arrogance and selfishness rule our baby boomer generation. Making every decision we make in government into a life or death, winner take all decision is ruining our discourse and government everywhere across this country. Reason has flown the coup. Now I know why the founders created a Republic and not a Democracy. When a bunch of ill informed manipulators get in the mix it really mucks up the works for the people who do their homework.
This decision was not an easy one. Is everyone 100% happy with it? Or happy we had to make the decision at all? I doubt it, but the decision has been made. Let’s move on…