On Tuesday, June 18, the Sedona Fire District Governing Board unanimously approved its fiscal year 2025 budget of $24.4 million, representing an increase of 2.5% from the previous year’s budget of $23.8 million. The district’s mil rate was unaffected and remains at $2.703 for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. SFD administrators cited the use of nontax revenue income and rising property values as reasons for not increasing the mil rate.
“Then we had a lot of retirements of senior staff, and then a lot of folks replacing them come in at a lower wage scale, so it changes the wage liability,” SFD Chief Ed Mezulis said.
Areas of the operation that saw cost increases included software subscription, recruitment costs for information technology staff, medical supplies and vehicle tires.
The current cost-of-living adjustment for SFD staff salary is 3.2% on top of the FY24 budget’s COLA increase of 6.5%, which the board said did not keep pace with an inflation rate of 8.5%. Personnel costs make up $19.1 million of the budget.
“This year’s cost of living adjustment was well within the means that what we had anticipated,” Chairman David Soto said following the meeting. “Last year it was way out of sight … it was like upwards of 8% area, and it was just, there was just no way. We settled on a couple percentage points less this year.”
About $4.4 million was transferred from SFD’s general operating fund to its capital fund for new vehicles, radio infrastructure and the potential construction of a new fire station. Mezulis said a large radio upgrade is in the planning stages and is “going to happen over the next couple of years.”
No members of the public attended to offer comment on the proposed budget.
Capital Projects
Soto said that the transfer of capital funds would also “go towards the design [and] construction of new fire stations, and in particular Fire Station 4 in Uptown, and then Fire Station 5” in Oak Creek Canyon. The capital reserve fund was at $1.4 million at the start of FY24.
Mezulis had previously requested that the Sedona City Council discuss a potential land swap with SFD in order to expand or rebuild Station 4 because SFD regards it as too small for its purposes and there is a crack down the center of the engine bay. He also drafted a proposal “to start a conversation” with Arizona State Parks and Trails about relocating Station 5 to Slide Rock State Park, as SFD cannot make any major improvements to the current property due to its lease agreement with the property owners, the Garland family.
“The current fire station in Oak Creek Canyon is not built to modern standards, nor was it built to accommodate 24/7 staffing,” Mezulis wrote. “Apparatus bay size limits our ability to pre-position fire apparatus for seasonal needs in Oak Creek Canyon.” SFD’s 2017 proposal included draft plans for a 4,900-square-foot station and 22,500 square feet of parking.
“I have not received a response from state parks or a request for more information … and Sedona Fire has not had a formal discussion with State Parks in an official capacity,” Mezulis later stated.
Mezulis’ draft also called for the construction of a new cellular tower at his proposed new Station 5 to “improve the district’s Insurance Service Organization rating, which could reduce insurance costs to canyon residents.”
Board Changes
After a year as an appointee and two full terms, Soto will not be seeking reelection to the board. Board member Janet Jablow will also be departing. Board clerk Helen McNeal was elected chairwoman in Soto’s stead, to begin in the role July 9. Board member Corrie Cooperman will serve as board clerk. “It’s time for fresh ideas,” Soto said. “I love being on that board. Everybody working in this fire district is great. And it’s a super community to represent a fire district in. But [there] just comes a point in time when it’s time for some [new] faces.”
“McNeal is a principal of McNeal Rector Consulting and from 2012 to 2017 was the founding executive director of the California State University’s Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care,” her board biography stated. “She is also the co-author of ‘Module IV: Palliative Care of A Comprehensive Guide to the Care of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS’ and co-author of several articles on palliative care. Helen is also an artist and lives with her husband, Allen Rector, in Sedona.”
The deadline to file for the board is Friday, July 5. Those who are interested in running can visit the Coconino County elections website.
