By Alison Ecklund
Larson Newspapers
Not wanting to give up “an opportunity of a lifetime,” Sedona City Councilman Marc Sterling turned in his letter of resignation Tuesday, April 21.
Tuesday, April 28, will be his last council meeting.
His resignation comes a week after Hi-Def Entertainment agreed to finance a majority of a new movie project by Pasidg Productions.
Sterling is a partner of Pasidg Production and will co-produce the latest film, “Sedona,” a movie filmed in and starring Sedona. Shooting is scheduled to begin in June or July with 12-hour days.
Sterling, a business teacher at Sedona Red Rock High School, will continue to teach and to follow his passion of working on projects for Sedona’s youth.
“With this movie project, along with teaching, a growing accounting business and family obligations, I feel I can better serve our community by actually generating revenue and opportunities for the city,” Sterling said.
The movie will boost Sedona’s economy by hiring locals as cast and production crew, he said, and once “Sedona” is released worldwide, it will act as a 90-minute commercial for the city, with the potential to bring in millions of dollars in tourism.
According to Sterling, the film will be pre-sold in international markets to secure foreign distribution before the movie is made.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that we can’t pass up,” Sterling said. “We’re not getting rich off it, but we’re hoping to use it as a way to fuel Sedona’s economy.”
Sterling was elected to council in the March 2008 election and vacates the seat with three years remaining in the term.
According to Interim City Manager Alison Zelms, council has three options to fill his seat. It could leave the seat vacant until the next scheduled election in March 2010; it could appoint someone until the 2010 election; or council could appoint someone until the term expires in 2012.
In the future, Sterling hopes the council can function as a cohesive unit to instill public confidence.
With a new city manager coming on board in June, Sterling is confident he will put the city on a positive track, he said.
