Submitted to Red Rock News on 7/22/26. Printed as a Guest Perspective on 7/29/26.
Sedona voters renewed Home Rule – Proposition 400 – keeping budget decisions under local control for four more years.
The same voters passed Proposition 403, designating the Cultural Park for parks, recreation, and culture – taking housing off the table there.
Voters also elected Fultz as mayor, and Dunn, Buillet, and Hauserman to Council. Congratulations. I welcome the new voices and note their balance.
On the Cultural Park:
I voted No on Prop 403 and said so publicly. I believed the planning process should have finished before options narrowed. The voters disagreed, and that settles it. I will support implementing the Cultural Park designation in good faith.
I still believe Sedona has a housing problem that is hollowing out our community. Finding locations for housing just got harder. One thing I would do differently: begin the Cultural Park planning effort with less dense housing options. We now look to the Balanced Housing Strategy to help us plan elsewhere, and better.
On Home Rule:
Home Rule won, as it has every time since 1996. Some neighbors believed defeating Home Rule would send a message about spending. The margin, smaller every time since 2012, sends it anyway.
For years, our surveys have shown many residents lack confidence in where the city is headed. Some of that criticism is unfair. Some of it is earned. A council candidate skeptical of the direction won the most votes this election. All of this is data. Winning Home Rule while ignoring all the feedback continues the fight.
On the Permanent Base Adjustment (PBA):
Although it wasn’t on the ballot, supporters and opponents of Home Rule agreed on one thing during the campaign: Sedona should pursue a PBA – a voter-approved change of the state spending limit.
I called for a Permanent Base Adjustment; so did people who disagree with me on nearly everything else. When both sides of a hard fight point at the same next step, take it seriously.
The soonest a PBA can practically reach the ballot is July 2028, and Home Rule governs through FY2030, so there is time to do this thoughtfully. The hard part is setting the number. Set it high and it replaces Home Rule votes for 15 to 20 years. Set it low, below current spending, and the community must trim services and projects – a choice no Arizona city has ever made. A third option, also novel: keep Home Rule, set a low PBA – higher than the state limit – and hold it in reserve. It would make for a softer landing if Home Rule someday fails. Whichever way, voters should decide with clear eyes.
This debate will be difficult and emotional. Anyone who tells you it will be quick or painless is selling snake oil. What matters is a process the community can stand behind. Residents must be in the room from the start, especially those who voted No on Home Rule or Yes on 403.
On Coming Back Together:
After eight years of city service – four on Council – and having chosen not to run again, I will use the freedom of leaving to say a few things.
To everyone who ran: putting your name on a ballot is its own service. Thank you.
To residents who are angry with the city: your vote mattered. Stay engaged, and if you show up at every step your voice will be more powerful. The budget routine starts in December, work groups need members, and Council meetings have a podium with your name on it. The city can listen.
Much of this election played out online, where the sharpest voices often get rewarded. But those forums are not the whole town, nor are they built for constructive dialogue. The Council also hears from people who never post online – and other residents say nothing at all. It still must decide what’s in our community’s best interest.
To the city: trust is rebuilt through behavior. Implementing Prop 403 well is one crucial behavior. Running an open, patient PBA process is another.
To the winning candidates: you inherit all the messages from Tuesday, not just the friendly ones. Governing is where you prove your vision. The concerns that fueled this year’s campaigns now have a seat at the dais.
And to our entire community: the people on each side of these questions are your neighbors. Although I have disagreed, sometimes sharply, with people who campaigned against my views, I don’t doubt they love this town. That is what we have in common. And that ain’t nothing.
Sedona is a great place to be. Let’s get back to work.
The opinions expressed here are mine alone – I am not speaking for City Council or city staff.