Government — local, national and at all levels in between — must be wildly transparent. All residents should be able to see what city staffers do all day, who they serve, what work they do, what projects they brainstorm, start, work on and complete, from day one until completion.
State and federal lawmakers feel the same way, which is why Arizona has robust public records laws and the federal government has the Freedom of Information Act, although certain state and federal agencies still do their darnedest to keep public records away from the public.
By and large, state and federal courts side with the public on the right to stay informed about government, but that said, we must still encourage, push, persuade and cajole public officials and judges to keep all public records public.
Being “public” is not just releasing emails, reports, call logs and audio and video recordings of meetings. Knowing what’s on the plates of public officials and in their minds — their goals, intents and planned tactics — is as important as reading the records documenting their past efforts in trying to best grasp the work ethic and working knowledge of those officials on the public dime.
To that effect, on page Page 5A of the Jan. 5 edition, we have our City Talk column, written this time by Sedona Housing Manager Shannon Booth.
The City Talk column was initiated more than 10 years ago by my predecessor, Managing Editor Trista Steers, back when I was her assistant managing editor.
The goal of the column is to provide our readers and the city of Sedona’s residents and taxpayers insight into the city’s operations. It allows a rotating lineup of city staffers to write about their areas of expertise, about how the city is functioning and about how they and their departments work for you to make Sedona a better place to live, work and play.
The column appears bimonthly, on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. We have been and are very happy to provide this column for our readers.
This year, you have already heard from Planning Manager Cari Meyer and Housing Manager Shannon Boone.
In the City Talk columns ahead, you’ll hear from
- Finance Director Cherie White
- City Manager Karen Osburn
- Community Development Director Steve Mertes
- Senior Planner Cynthia Lovely about the Sedona Community Plan
- Transit Manager Robert Weber
- Parks & Recreation Manager Dawn Norman
- Senior Code Enforcement Officer Brian Armstrong
- Assistant Engineer Michael Righi
- Assistant Public Works Director Sandi Phillips
- Short-term Rental Program Coordinator Teresah Arthur
- Deputy City Manager JoAnne Keene
- Public Works Director Andy Dickey about Sedona in Motion
- Police Chief Stephanie Foley
- Sustainability Manager Alicia Peck
- Public Relations Coordinator Kegn Moorcroft
- Communications & Public Relations Manager Lauren Browne
- Wastewater Director Roxanne Holland and
- Arts & Culture Coordinator Nancy Lattanzi.
Most of these staffers have been with the city of Sedona for years and are names readers know from our news stories and previous City Talk columns.
We used to have Sedona City Council members write columns as well, and while many good council members were willing to follow the same guidelines as city staffers, a handful of council members instead tried to use what has always been an informative and nonpartisan news column to re-litigate council votes they lost, bash city officials with whom they clashed, promote businesses they favored, speak ill of businesses or residents who slighted them or voice their partisan ideologies, none of which are appropriate for a news column and could not be printed given the decade-old City Talk guidelines.
Council members can speak publicly for hours — and often do — at council meetings and work sessions. Our newspaper also already has a forum for folks to air their grievances, Page 4A, which has the word “Opinion” inscribed in large, friendly letters at the top of the page; council members can also send us a letter to the editor or request a Guest Perspective if they want to voice their personal views and partisan stances, by emailing us at editor@larsonnewspapers.com.
That said, our readers have been far more supportive of the City Talk column since 2021, as they have appreciated hearing from city professionals about what they do daily for residents. We’re happy to provide this column bimonthly and know that our readers and residents are more informed from having read it.
Christopher Fox Graham
Managing Editor
