We encourage voters to cast their ballots for Sandra “Sandy” Moriarty for mayor of Sedona.

Moriarty has lived in Sedona for 42 years. She has seen our city grow from an unincorporated community into a fully functioning city. She knows how we have grown and where we are headed as a city.

Moriarty has a long history of service in Sedona and previously served as a city councilwoman. She attended nearly all of the Sedona Community Plan meetings, not because she was on the steering committee, it was because she wanted to be an informed resident. That dedication to civic duty, without need for reward, is what Sedona needs in its top civil servant.

Conversely, Sedona simply cannot afford to have Moriarty’s opponent, Cliff Hamilton, as our mayor.

Hamilton has touted the establishment of the Sedona Wetlands Preserve as the highlight of his tenure while previously on the Sedona City Council.

First, the wetlands were approved by council as a whole, not by a single member of a seven-member body.

And second, while we enjoy birdwatching, the wetlands are a financial boondoggle. The city spent $2.5 million to build the wetlands, but it did not solve the city’s wastewater problem and now taxpayers will have to spend millions to fix a problem which could have been done years ago.

Hamilton also suggests building an outdoor amphitheater at the wetlands. An outdoor stage downwind from a sewer plant? Smells like another major waste of city money.

Hamilton wants voters to forget his poor financial decision regarding the failed takeback of State Route 89A. In 2011, Hamilton and a few others on council tried to force the city to accept ownership of State Route 89A from the Arizona Department of Transportation to prevent streetlights. The move could have bankrupted the city to pay for a road that would continue to endanger residents’ lives without improvements.

Voters rebelled and put council’s decision on the ballot as Proposition 410. Hamilton “loaned” $4,000 to the group fighting the proposition and he also signed off on a letter defending his position mailed out to all homes in Sedona in an attempt to “educate” the electorate. Voters defeated his faction in a landslide, 70.5 percent to 29.5 percent. Voters even went a step further and prohibited city officials from ever making such a major decision without bringing the matter before voters.

Voters also don’t need to be told they need to be better “educated” if the vast majority disagrees at the ballot box. Hamilton’s attitude in regular council meetings was similar, often speaking to residents in a condescending tone, making residents less likely to get involved in city politics.

Moriarty promises to listen to residents and other council members. As an accountant, she can be trusted to be fiscally responsible with our tax dollars. Sandy Moriarty should be your choice for mayor in the election on Tuesday, Aug. 26.