On Tuesday, March 10, the Sedona City Council unanimously approved putting Home Rule before the voters on the Tuesday, July 21, ballot.
The vote was 6-0 with Councilwoman Kathy Kinsella attending virtually and Councilwoman Melissa Dunn absent. The vote came after the city held its second public hearing on the matter; the first hearing was on Feb. 24.
Home Rule, which the city of Sedona has used continuously since 1996, replaces the state’s expenditure limit that is based on 1980 spending levels adjusted for inflation with the city’s own annually adopted budget.
Without Home Rule, Sedona’s budget would be capped at roughly $23.6 million in allowable spending, nearly $80 million less than its most recently adopted budget of $103.5 million. Home Rule was last approved in 2022 with 64% in favor.
“While I support Home Rule in this election, I do think it’s a good idea that we pursue a Permanent Basis Adjustment and that we have that on the ballot in 2028,” Vice Mayor Brian Fultz later said.
A Permanent Base Adjustment is a one-time voter-approved measure that raises the 1980 state spending base to a new, higher floor and only requires another election when that ceiling needs to be lifted again and a PBA could stand for decades as opposed to the quadrennial Home Rule renewal. One person spoke against Home Rule, while David Key, president and CEO of the Greater Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau, spoke in favor later in the day.
