Sedona advisory committee finalizes presentation plan on pay and health coverage for mayor and council

The Sedona advisory committee met to refine a draft report and presentation recommending compensation ranges and access to city health coverage for the mayor and council. Chair (speaker 4) led discussion on whether to provide a full report to council in advance or deliver a shorter presentation with supporting exhibits.

Committee members agreed the group should emphasize a guiding "North Star" — reducing the financial burden of public service and encouraging a broader candidate pool — rather than rely on imperfect comparables. "I think from also from a timeline standpoint, I think we are looking towards a next election cycle run..." the Chair said, arguing that the materials should lead council toward a durable policy rather than a short-term fix. Committee member (speaker 3) said a detailed document explaining the group's process would help prevent councilors from arriving with preformed opinions.

Staff (speaker 5) summarized operational assumptions the committee used for draft calculations: 52 weeks per year and an illustrative working range of 20–40 hours per week with a working anchor at 30 hours. Using a minimum-wage anchor of $15.65 per hour, staff said a 30-hour anchor would yield a notional annual figure of "24,414" for a councilor at the minimum-wage baseline. The committee agreed to present ranges and rationale and to keep detailed cost exhibits available if councilors ask.

The group also discussed health-plan mechanics and cost scenarios. City staff explained that the city manager signs the annual health-plan eligibility and that the municipality can add elected officials to the plan by changing that eligibility language. Members debated stipends versus direct enrollment and raised issues for members who already have Medicare.

Next procedural steps: staff will redraft the report with a few illustrative charts and photos and the committee tentatively scheduled a follow-up meeting in late October or early November to finalize recommendations before presenting to the full council.