[00:00:03]
OKAY, WE READY? CALL THIS MEETING TO
[1. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/MOMENT OF SILENCE]
ORDER.3:30 PM TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH, 2026.
PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
UNITED OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE REPUBLIC, REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
MADAM CLERK, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
MAYOR PLU HERE, VICE MAYOR FOLTZ.
[3.a. AB 3276 Public hearing/presentation/discussion concerning whether the City of Sedona should extend the Alternative Expenditure Limitation – Home Rule Option with regard to the City Budget. This is the second of two public hearings and this issue would be placed on the July 21, 2026, ballot for voter approval.]
THREE.I'M GONNA PUT ON MY GLASSES SO I CAN READ B 32 76 PUBLIC HEARING PRESENTATION DISCUSSION CONCERNING WHETHER THE CITY OF SEDONA SHOULD EXTEND THE ALTERNATIVE EXPENDITURE LIMITATION HOME RULE OPTION WITH REGARD TO THE CITY BUDGET.
THIS IS THE SECOND OF TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THE ISSUE WOULD BE PLACED ON THE JULY 21ST, 2026 BALLOT FOR VOTER APPROVAL.
YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR US, BARBARA? YES, MA'AM.
UM, MADAM MAYOR, UH, VICE MAYOR.
COUNSELORS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AS, UH, THE MAYOR STATED THIS IS THE SECOND, UH, PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE HOME RULE OPTION FOR THE ALTERNATIVE EXPENDITURE LIMITATION.
AND THE VOTE WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE PRIMARY ELECTION ON JULY 21ST OF THIS YEAR.
SO FOR CONTEXT, AND I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE HEARD THIS, AND I'M, AND I'M SORRY TO GO OVER IT AGAIN, BUT WE DO HAVE THIS LIKE IN INFORMATION, UH, PRESENTATION ON THE DETAILS OF WHAT IS HOME RULE AND WHAT ARE THE EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS.
SO THE EXPENDITURE LIMIT ITSELF WAS VOTER APPROVED AND IT WAS A, AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION THAT SET SPENDING LIMITS FOR COUNTIES AND CITIES.
UM, THERE ARE THREE PIECES ESSENTIALLY TO THAT.
THE STATE SET LIMIT AND THEN TWO ALTERNATIVE LIMITS, WHICH ARE HOME RULE AND A PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT.
THERE IS A ONE TIME OVERRIDE OPTION IF, FOR EXAMPLE, A CITY ATTEMPTS TO DO HOME RULE OR PERMANENT BASE, IT DOESN'T PASS.
THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A ONE TIME OVERRIDE.
UM, BUT THAT IS OF COURSE NOT A, IT'S NOT LIKE AN APPROVAL OF INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEMS OR INDIVIDUAL BUDGET THINGS, BUT IT IS JUST A, OKAY, WE APPROVE THIS MUCH BUDGET IN ADDITION TO THAT STATE LIMIT.
UM, AND 90% OF ALL ARIZONA CITIES AND TOWNS USE ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVES.
THERE ARE MORE PBAS NOW THAN THERE ARE HOME RULE, MORE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT.
UM, I ANALYZE THIS BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW ME, YOU KNOW, I LOVE ANALYSIS.
SO I LOOKED AT ALL OF THE CITIES TO SEE WHAT THEY HAD WHEN THEY ADOPTED IT, HOW BIG THEY ARE, HOW MUCH THEY'VE GROWN.
THERE'S NO CONSISTENT THING THAT I CAN SAY LIKE THAT.
ALL OF THE BIG CITIES HAVE A PBA.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY ALL OVER THE MAP.
THERE ARE ARE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENTS IN SMALL CITIES OF LIKE LESS THAN 2000 POPULATION THERE AS HOME RULE.
YOU KNOW, IN PHOENIX IT'S KIND OF ALL OVER THE MAP.
THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF CITIES OBVIOUSLY THAT USE THE STATE SET LIMIT.
UM, THE LARGEST OF THOSE THOUGH IS YUMA, ODDLY, BUT THEIR, UH, POPULATION GROWTH HAS BEEN ENOUGH TO COVER WHAT THEIR BUDGET IS.
SO, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY THINGS WHEN WE LOOK AT LIKE WHERE THE GROWTH IS IN, UH, THE STATE LIKE GILBERT GREW BY ALMOST 70 TIMES IN THE PERIOD FROM 1980 TO 2024.
SO IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING TO LOOK AT.
UM, BUT IT ENDED UP NOT REALLY TELLING ME MUCH OTHER THAN THAT IT SEEMS LIKE CITIES ADOPT THIS BASED ON INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, COMMUNITY DESIRES, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE DRIVEN BY SIZE OR GROWTH OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
SO THE ALTERNATIVES THAT I MENTIONED ARE HOME RULE,
[00:05:01]
WHICH THE CITY OF SEDONA HAS BEEN USING EVERY FOUR YEARS SINCE 1996.IT DID FAIL TO PASS I BELIEVE IN 1994, AND THAT'S WHEN 1996.
THEN IT'S BEEN CONSISTENT FOR, UH, THE 30 YEARS SINCE THEN.
AND THAT IS WHERE THE EXPENDITURE LIMITATION, THE LIMIT ON OUR EXPENSES IS SET BY COUNCIL.
WHEN YOU ADOPT THE TENTATIVE BUDGET IN MAY OF EACH YEAR, YOU ADOPT A TENTATIVE BUDGET AND SAY IT'S 90 MILLION, WE CAN THEN COME BACK IN JUNE AND YOU MIGHT ADOPT A FINAL BUDGET THAT'S 80 MILLION AND I'M JUST PULLING THESE NUMBERS OUT OF NOWHERE.
UM, BUT THAT TENTATIVE BUDGET SETS THAT EXPENDITURE LIMITATION ANNUALLY.
EVEN WHEN YOU ADOPT THE FINAL BUDGET, UM, THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT ALLOWS A CITY TO, AND I PUT PERMANENTLY IN QUOTES BECAUSE REALLY IT'S NOT PERMANENT, BUT THEY ADJUST THE BASE, THAT 1980 BASE, WHICH FOR US IS LIKE 2.6 MILLION AND THEY ADJUST IT TO SOME OTHER AMOUNT, LIKE 30 MILLION.
AND THEN THE SAME STATE LIMIT NUMBERS LIKE A POPULATION AND AN INFLATION FACTOR ARE USED TO DETERMINE THE MAXIMUM SPENDING LIMIT FOR THE CITY.
AND AT SOME POINT OF COURSE THAT COMES BACK AROUND BECAUSE INFLATION DOESN'T, DOESN'T GO AWAY.
UM, BUT MESA IN THEIR MOST RECENT ELECTION SAID IT WOULD BE 30 YEARS THEY PREDICTED BEFORE THEY WOULD NEED TO DO ANOTHER ONE.
BARBARA, IS THERE ANY CONSISTENCY WITH HOW LARGE, IF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT 30 YEARS, EXPECT THAT THE BUDGET WOULD GROW OVER THAT TIME IF NOTHING ELSE, BUT FOR INFLATION, IS THERE ANY RULE OF THUMB ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE THEN CURRENT BUDGET IS USED FOR THE PBA? I DIDN'T LOOK AT THAT.
SO NOW YOU'VE GIVEN ME ANOTHER ANALYSIS THING AND UM, NEXT TIME WE TALK ABOUT THIS I WILL BE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION 'CAUSE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY INTERESTING THING TO KNOW.
UM, SO HOME RULE AGAIN IN SEDONA LAST 30 YEARS, UM, THIS IS THE SECOND OF THE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MOST RECENTLY, UM, WE APPROVED, UH, HOME RULE IN 2022 WITH 64% IN FAVOR.
SO WHY HOME RULE VERSUS THE STATE SET LIMIT? UM, I'M GONNA START WITH THAT AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT PBA AS AN OPTION, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE SINCE WE ARE DOING HOME RULE RIGHT NOW, WHAT THAT IS.
SO THE STATE CALCULATION, AS I MENTIONED BRIEFLY USES THE POPULATION GROWTH FORMULA AND A STATEWIDE INFLATION FACTOR.
SO EVERYBODY GETS THE SAME INFLATION FACTOR FOR THE TIME FROM 1970 EIGHT'S BUDGET TO 20 24, 20 25.
SO THEY'RE ASSUMING THAT INFLATION HAS GONE UP 370% BASICALLY IN 40 YEARS.
BUT OF COURSE THAT VARIES ACROSS THE STATE, RIGHT? DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE, WHAT'S MORE COSTLY, WHAT'S CHEAPER, UM, AND THEN IT USES THE POPULATION GROWTH TO DETERMINE THE OTHER PIECE OF IT.
SO IF A CITY HAS GROWN PARTICULARLY FAST IN THOSE 40 YEARS, UM, THEY HAVE A HIGHER LIMIT THAN A CITY THAT HASN'T GROWN OR HASN'T GROWN MUCH.
AND THEN THERE ARE A FEW CITIES THAT HAVE ACTUALLY LOST POPULATION IN THAT TIME.
WE ARE, WE ARE NOT ONE OF THOSE.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, THAT STATEWIDE SORT OF ONE SIZE FITS ALL THING DOESN'T REALLY CONSIDER OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN INFLUENCE HOW CITIES NEED TO SPEND MONEY.
AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE SOURCES OF REVENUE.
SO THE REVENUES THAT COME IN, LIKE YOU HAVE A, A LIMIT THAT'S SET BY THE STATE AND MAYBE YOU HAVE A SEWER SYSTEM THAT WASN'T IN EXISTENCE SAY IN 1978, THEN THE REVENUE FROM THAT UTILITY IS NOT IN THAT INITIAL NUMBER.
AND THE SAME THING WITH LIKE BED AND SALES, TAX CHANGES, OTHER NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE AND IT DOESN'T CONSIDER, UM, POPULATION THAT'S LIKE COMMUTER POPULATION OR VISITOR POPULATION.
AND THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOW MUCH COST WE HAVE TO INVEST IN LIKE KEEPING THE STREETS NICE BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE TRAFFIC ON THE STREETS THAN 10,000 PEOPLE, 10,000 RESIDENTS WOULD HAVE.
SO CONTINUING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BASED ON 1978 AND A 1980 BUDGET.
WE WEREN'T INCORPORATED UNTIL 1988.
SO THE BUDGET THAT THEY CAME UP WITH FOR SEDONA IS REALLY BASED ON OTHER CITIES PER CAPITA AVERAGE AND WAS NOT SPECIFIC TO ANYTHING ABOUT SEDONA.
[00:10:01]
IT STARTS OFF FOR ANY CITY THAT LIKE NEWLY INCORPORATED AFTER 1980, A LITTLE BIT NOT ACCURATE ANYWAY, LIKE SAN TAN VALLEY JUST INCORPORATED.AND I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH, LIKE HOW ARE THEY GONNA ESTIMATE THAT AND IT'LL BE REALLY INTERESTING.
SO THE ONE TIME OPTION, AND I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT PBA IN JUST A SECOND, BUT THE ONE TIME OPTION IS SOMETHING THAT I HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SOMETIMES THAT, WELL, WE SHOULD LET THE PEOPLE VOTE ON THE INDIVIDUAL THINGS IN THE BUDGET AND WE CAN USE THE ONE TIME OVERRIDE, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT HOW THAT OVERRIDE WORKS.
IT'S NOT A LINE ITEM BUDGET APPROVAL, IT'S ACTUALLY JUST A, A SPECIAL ELECTION IN MAY FOR A ONE TIME.
LIKE THE BUDGET WILL BE MORE THAN THE STATE LIMIT AND AND THAT'S ALL IT IS AND IT'S ONLY FOR THAT NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UM, IF HOME RULE WERE TO NOT PASS.
AND COULD ONE TIME BE DONE EVERY YEAR? I DON'T THINK SO, ACTUALLY.
I WASN'T SURE BUT UH, KATHY MENTIONED IN A MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH THE FIRE DISTRICT THAT SHE DIDN'T THINK SO AND I LOOKED IT UP AND I CAN'T FIND SPECIFICS YET, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM WHAT I'M READING IN OTHER CITIES, IT IS A ONE TIME UNTIL YOU HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION FOR HOME RULE OR PBA.
SO BEFORE GO AHEAD OR CAN WE JUST DO A SOUND CHECK? KATHY, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I CAN.
I HAVE MY MIC OFF, BUT I CAN HEAR YOU.
OKAY, SO BEFORE I GET INTO CITY BUDGETING PRACTICES, I DID WANNA MENTION PBAA LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE WE DID HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE BRING THAT UP AT THE LAST HEARING.
UM, THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT IS, IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COULD ELECT TO DO IN SAY TWO YEARS.
YOU KNOW, WE GET HOME RULE AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER WE COULD DO A PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT ELECTION IF THAT WAS THE DIRECTION THAT THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL WANTED TO GO.
AND AS DESCRIBED, THAT'S WHERE YOU ADJUST THE BASE AND YOU FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG DO WE WANT THIS TO BE GOOD AND HOW MUCH ARE WE GONNA NEED? IT IS REALLY, IT'S A LOT OF GUESSWORK BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT INFLATION LOOKS LIKE, RIGHT? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GONNA BE IMPACTING THE CITY OVER 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS, 30 YEARS.
AND I THINK 30 YEARS IS ACTUALLY AN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG TIME.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T THINK THAT IN GENERAL PBAS LAST 30 YEARS, I THINK THEY'RE MORE LIKE 10 TO 15.
UM, BECAUSE IT, IT ISN'T VERY PALATABLE TO ADOPT A BUDGET MAXIMUM OF LIKE 160 BILLION WHEN YOUR BUDGET IS 600 MILLION.
SAY YOU'RE ONE OF THE LARGE CITIES THAT, THAT SOUNDS, IT SOUNDS LIKE BAD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND IT'S NOT, BUT IT GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF LIKE, WHY ARE WE SETTING THIS LIMIT THAT'S LIKE THE SKY IS THE LIMIT WHEN THE REALITY IS WE DON'T NEED THAT MUCH.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE MOSTLY DON'T SEE THOSE PBAS LASTING LIKE 30 YEARS.
BUT THAT IS AN, THAT IS AN OPTION THAT THE CITY COULD DO.
WE, WE CANNOT DO IT THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE PAST THAT, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE.
'CAUSE WE'VE SAID WE'RE GONNA DO HOME RULE AT THIS PRI PRIMARY.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HOME RULE THIS YEAR.
BUT THAT IS OF COURSE AN OPTION AND I DO WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT.
UM, SO CITY BUDGETING PRACTICES IS ALSO SOMETHING WE LIKE TO JUST KIND OF POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T BUDGET IN A VACUUM AND WE WANT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE WITH, WITH OUR BUDGETING.
WE HAVE THE CITIZEN BUDGET WORK GROUP, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE WORKSHOPS AND TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS AS REQUIRED.
UM, WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL AUDIT EVERY YEAR, AN EXPENDITURE LIMITATION AUDIT, HIGHWAY USER FUND AUDIT, AND A TRIENNIAL AUDIT OF LIKE COURT PROCEDURES.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF EXTERNAL EYES ON OUR FINANCIALS, NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST STAFF MAKING SURE WE KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
IT REALLY IS A LOT OF SCRUTINY WHEN YOU'RE A GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
UM, WE WIN BEST PRACTICES AND AWARDS.
UM, EVERY YEAR WE'VE RECEIVED THE CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORTING FROM THE GFOA FOR 25 YEARS AND THE BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD FOR 13 YEARS.
AND OUR BOND RATING IS AA MINUS, WHICH IS AN EXCELLENT RATING.
UM, SO JUST FOR CONTEXT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE HOME RULE? THE KEY THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT IT IS AN EXPENDITURE LIMIT, NOT A REVENUE LIMIT.
SO REVENUE IS STILL COLLECTED, THERE'S NO CHANGE TO TAXES, CHARGES FOR SERVICES OR ANY REVENUE STREAM.
AND THE REVENUE COLLECTED ABOVE THE
[00:15:01]
LIMIT IS UNAVAILABLE FOR A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS.AND THERE WOULD OF COURSE BE SERVICE REDUCTIONS AND GOVERNMENTS OF COURSE HAVE REQUIRED FUNCTIONS AND THEN DESIRABLE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE MORE FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
UM, WERE WE TO FUNCTION UNDER THE EXPENDITURE LIMIT, THE STATE EXPENDITURE LIMIT, THE PRIORITY OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE FOR REQUIRED FUNCTIONS.
AND THEN THIS IS THE STATE LIMIT, WHICH IS THE 15.4 MILLION AND LAST YEAR'S ADOPTED BUDGET OF 103.
THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS THAT COME OUT OF THAT LIMIT OR ADD TO THAT LIMIT.
THERE'S TWO WAYS TO LOOK AT IT, BUT EITHER WAY IN EXCESS OF THE LIMIT BY OVER $70 MILLION.
SO HERE'S A LITTLE GRAPHIC, UH, SORT OF BUILDING BLOCKS, IF YOU WILL, OF THE REQUIRED FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOW MUCH THEY COST HERE AND OUR REQUIRED FUNCTIONS THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE LIMIT.
UM, TOTAL ABOUT 25 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN 26.
AND REMEMBER IT'S NOT THAT THESE AREN'T IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS, IT'S JUST THAT THESE AREN'T NECESSARILY THINGS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE.
AND THESE TOTAL ABOUT 61.5 MILLION AND THAT INCLUDES TRANSIT, SUSTAINABILITY, ENGINEERING SERVICES, ALL OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND OF COURSE PARKS AND RECREATION.
SO THAT SERVICE IMPACT WOULD MEAN WE WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 15.4 MILLION TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO, YOU KNOW, THIS $87 MILLION THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE LIMIT.
AND HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD THAT WORK? I I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD TO BE FUNDED AND WHAT COULDN'T BE FUNDED.
UM, BUT JUST FOR A PICTURE, AND THESE ARE JUST SMALLER THINGS OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS WITH THE REQUIRED FUNCTIONS ON TOP OF THE OTHER.
IF WE LOOK AT WHAT THAT DIFFERENCE WOULD MAKE IS IT'S THE GRAY IS BASICALLY THE FUNDING THAT WOULD NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE.
THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S EXACTLY HOW WE WOULD FUND ANYTHING, IT'S JUST A GRAPHIC OF THIS WOULD BE THE REALITY OF HOW MUCH WE COULD FUND OVERALL WITHOUT, UH, A HOME RULE OPTION.
AND THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, BRIAN, IN THE EVENT OF A HOME RULE FAILURE AND THE ONE TIME OVERRIDE IS PURSUED, IF THERE'S, IS IT A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS FROM A ELECTION FOR HOME RULE TO EITHER APPLYING FOR, OR, YOU KNOW, UH, PUTTING IT ON THE BALLOT AGAIN TWO YEARS LATER OR A PBA OR WHATEVER? LIKE, IS THERE THAT ONE TIME OVERRIDE, DOES THAT COVER YOU FOR THE TWO YEARS? THE, THE, THE ACTUAL HOME RULE OR THE EXPENDITURE LIMITATION DOESN'T BECAUSE THE, THE ELECTION IS IN JULY, BUT IT DOESN'T APPLY UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 28.
SO FISCAL 27 WOULD STILL BE GOOD THEN THERE WOULD MAYBE BE A ONE TIME OVERRIDE IN MAY THAT WOULD COVER FISCAL 28 8 AND THEN AT THAT POINT YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION, BUT YOU WOULD BE IN, THERE WOULD BE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE A FULL BUDGET BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CAN HAVE A HOME RULE OR PBA ELECTION AS A SPECIAL ELECTION.
YOU CAN DO THE ONE-TIME OVERRIDE, BUT I THINK THAT'S RIGHT KURT, ISN'T IT THAT HOME RULE OR PBA HAS TO BE THEIR PRIMARY OR YES.
THE, THE HOME RULE OR, UH, PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT NEEDS TO BE ON THE PRIMARY GENERAL, ONE OF THE REGULAR ELECTIONS.
UH, THE ONE TIME OVERRIDE, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT IT ONLY, IT IS ONLY GOOD FOR ONE YEAR, BUT I'M NOT SURE.
I THINK YOU CAN DO THE ONE TIME, MAYBE DO IT AGAIN EACH YEAR.
AND, AND I'LL LOOK INTO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M ANSWERING THAT CORRECTLY BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU BAD INFORMATION ON THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, BARBARA, I WOULD SUGGEST MAYBE THE NEXT TIME YOU COME THAT WE LAY OUT A TIMELINE OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE TOO, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BE IMAGINING THAT IN OUR HEADS IN TERMS OF OKAY.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? HAVE ANY CARDS? DON'T HAVE ANY? NO.
IT'S A NEW PROCESS TO
[00:20:04]
OKAY.I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC PORTION.
AND TIM, THAT'S THE ONLY CARD I HAVE, SO IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK, PLEASE FILL OUT A CARD.
MY NAME IS TIM PERRY AND I LIVE IN SEDONA.
THE COUNCIL'S EAGERNESS TO PUT HOME RULE BACK ON THE BALLOT AGAIN.
SHOWS US ONCE MORE THAT THE COUNCIL IS PURSUING THE INTERESTS OF UNELECTED STAFF AND NOT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY.
OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WE HEAR THE ARGUMENT FROM CITY STAFF THAT THE CITY PROVIDES SERVICES.
THAT HOME RULE IS REQUIRED TO FUND WHAT PRAY, TELL ARE THESE SERVICES POLICING? ARE YOU GOING TO TRY TO CONVINCE US THAT IS A SERVICE FOR US TO BE VIOLENTLY ASSAULTED, DRAGGED TO COURT, MADE TO COUGH UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FINES AND FEES, UH, WHICH YOU WILL THEN USE TO DEFEND OR SETTLE FIRST AMENDMENT LAWSUITS AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT IN FEDERAL COURT.
IS THIS A SERVICE? OH, WHAT ABOUT PARKS? WELL, YOU GUYS ARE TOO NEW TO REMEMBER THIS, BUT IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS, SEDONAS PARKS WERE BUILT AND RUN AND MAINTAINED BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND SEDONA, BY ALL ACCOUNTS HAD FANTASTIC EVENTS, FIREWORKS AND FESTIVALS AND RODEOS.
NOW TODAY'S PARKS STAFF AT THE CITY SUPPOSEDLY SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY ATTEMPTING TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF EVENTS IN THIS TOWN AND DRIVE AWAY FAMILIES, WASTEWATER SERVICE.
OH YEAH, THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT WHERE IT DOESN'T EVEN SERVE HALF THE PEOPLE IN TOWN.
AND A GOOD PORTION OF THE REST WHO IT SUPPOSEDLY DOES REFER TO IT AS RAPING THEM WITH A SEWER PIPE IS RAPE A PUBLIC SERVICE NOW.
THEN THERE'S THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, WHICH DECIDED IT WAS GOING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY BUILDING A CONCENTRATION CAMP THAT 64% OF VOTERS REJECTED.
THAT'S HOW WELL YOU SERVED THEM.
AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WHICH SERVES THE COMMUNITY BY PREVENTING US FROM BUILDING HOUSING AND SOLVING THE HOUSING SHORTAGE.
WHAT ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS? WELL, IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT IN BARBARA'S, UH, LYING LITTLE PRESENTATION, HE OR SHE AGAIN DOUBLED DOWN ON THE IDEA THAT IT COSTS 9.7 MILLION TO MAINTAIN THE CITY'S STREETS AND FACILITIES FOR A YEAR.
BUT IN THE FINANCE REPORT, SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU LATER THIS AFTERNOON, THE ACTUAL SPEND LAST YEAR WAS 2.7 MILLION.
7 MILLION FROM 25 AND A HALF IS 18 AND A HALF.
CUTCHER POLICE FORCE IN HALF TO A SIZE, MORE APPROPRIATE TO A SMALL WESTERN TOWN.
THERE'S ANOTHER 4 MILLION AND YOU'RE UNDER THE EXPENDITURE LIMIT.
THERE ARE AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF WAYS $15 MILLION COULD BE SLICED TO RUN THIS TOWN EFFICIENTLY AND WELL, HOME RULE IS SIMPLY A FORM OF LEGAL GRAFT, WHICH STAFF USE TO TRANSFER THE PUBLIC DOLLARS TO THEIR OWN POCKETS AND TO PET PROJECTS.
ANY SUPPOSED SERVICES STAFF ARE PROVIDING.
COULD BE NUMBER ONE PROVIDED BETTER BY THE COMMUNITY IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY NEEDED, OR TWO ARE NOT NEEDED AT ALL.
I HAVE, I'M CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THIS MEETING BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CARDS AND WE WILL GO BACK TO COUNSEL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL, HEARING NONE THEN, I'M GONNA ADJOURN THIS MEETING UNTIL FOUR 15.
MAYOR, WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM, FUTURE MEETING AND AGENDA ITEMS, BUT WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THAT.
SO ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING IDEAS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS? NO.
[5. ADJOURNMENT]
TILL FOUR 15.