Number of earners triple since NEWS began tracking in 2021
Since the NEWS began its annual tracking of the salary group of city of Sedona staffers earning six-figure salaries in 2021, there are 48 employees currently earning in that group, nearly three times the 17 who topped $100,000 in 2022, and a 78% jump from the 27 in that group last year. Currently 26 staffers are in the $80,000 to $100,000 salary bracket, up from 23 in 2025 and 15 in 2024.
Josh Frewin, JoAnne Cook, Bryce Beck, Ian Coubrough, Bob Welch, Ryan Hayes, Mike Atwater, Johnathan Hoffman, Brenda Schorr and four police sergeants are existing staff who crossed the $100,000 threshold for the first time. New hires joining the six-figure group include Andrew Grossmann, Renee Stanley, Heather Penner, Aaron Seifert, Aron Reay and David Velasco.
“After the executive session held today, city council in open session unanimously voted to approve a 5% merit increase to the city manager’s salary,” City Attorney Kurt Christianson, said on April 28.
Twenty-six city employees are paid between $80,000 and $100,000 per year. Seven police officers also fall in this range, with salaries of $94,557, $93,059, $88,151, $84,573, $80,371, $80,330 and $80,018. A temporary city employee is also listed at $93,600.
Former employees Principal Planner Cynthia Lovely was making $102,600 and Housing Manager Jeanne Blum was making $90,272, prior to leaving the city. Both of those positions are anticipated to be filled in the near future.
“Within the city, our total budget for salaries and stipends, which is wages, … is about $17.7 million point or 30% and the related benefits are about 12% of the budget,” Whitehorn said during the budget work session on April 22. “So that brings us to a total of the operating budget for our personnel costs of 42%. When we look at a national index, the average for that is 50% to 70%, often as much as 80% or more. So that tells us actually two things, that 42% says we are lean and we operate efficiently, but it also says we don’t have staff capacity to take on a whole lot more.”
Most recent turnovers are for personal reasons unrelated to salary, Human Resources Director Russ Martin said later in the session, based on exit interviews.
The estimated city employee turnover percentage in 2026 is estimated at 15%, down from 19% in 2025, 18% in 2024 and 22% in 2023, according to the budget presentation to council.
The number of full-time equivalent employees in the city has been increasing since 142.10 in Fiscal Year 2018 to 152.45 in FY 2021, 163.77 in FY 2022, 177.50 in FY 2023, 181.89 in FY 2024, 188.89 in FY 2025, to currently 201.65 with the most recent increase driven by police department hirings. As part of the FY 2027 discussion council is currently considering adding a new Recreation Coordinator position to run after-school camp programs, a new full-time custodian for Parks and Recreation, converting a bike coordinator to full-time, a new full-time IT specialist for the police department and a new part-time court specialist.
