The Sedona Fire District Governing Board just filled a vacancy left by clerk Corrie Cooperman. Soon, they’ll be doing it all over again.

During the Wednesday, Feb. 21, meeting, Tim Ernster announced that unless circumstances change, it would be his last meeting as a board member.

Ernster, who was appointed to the board three years ago and is a former Sedona city manager, said he put his Sedona home up for sale this past spring. The house recently sold and is in escrow. It’s expected to close the first week of March.

“I also purchased another home not in the district because I couldn’t find property with the acreage in the district that met my needs and was within my price range,” he told the board. “That house is also scheduled to close the first week of March.”

Ernster noted that there’s always the possibility that one could fall out of escrow, which could alter his plans.

“What I’m trying to do is put the board on notice that if the sales go through, then this would be my last meeting because I would no longer be living in the district,” he said.

He added that he will notify chairman Ty Montgomery if and when the sales are complete.

Filling a vacancy has been fairly common for the board over the last few years. In 2015, Scott Jablow stepped down to run for Sedona City Council and was replaced by David Soto.

Nazih Hazime stepped down to focus more on his duties as chief of the Verde Valley Fire District in 2015 and was replaced by Ernster. And Diane Schoen moved from Sedona and was replaced by Abe Koniarsky in 2016.

“Tim stepped up and played a crucial role on the board, going above and beyond to lead the Citizen’s Bond Committee and helping to give us the data needed to make some tough decisions,” Montgomery said. “His dedication and solid background in public finance has been a great asset to the district.”

Regarding a potential replacement, Montgomery added, “While he has not submitted his formal resignation, he was good enough to let us know ahead of time that his residence may be changing so that we can begin planning. As we are seating a new board member [Gene McCarthy] at the next meeting, we will have to discuss how to approach any potential replacement as a board. Since Mr. McCarthy was not involved in the recent interviews from a board perspective, we will need to consider what process to use to ensure that all board members have a voice in making any further appointments.”

Following the meeting, Ernster said he has enjoyed his time on the board. 

“I have served in the Governing Board since October 2015, and have been constantly impressed with the professionalism and commitment of the board members to serving the citizens of the district,” he said. “There are no political agendas, just an interest in serving the district. I am hoping that as the district moves forward, that future board members keep in mind that first and foremost, they are public servants.

“I regret not serving out my term on the board. It has been an honor for me to serve on the board and have the opportunity to interact with such a professional organization with dedicated and passionate people.”

Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795 ext. 122 or by email at reland@larsonnewspapers.com