Sedona resident Mark DiNunzio was chosen to fill the open City Council seat vacated by Marc Sterling.

DiNunzio named to fill Sterling council seat

By Tommy Acosta

SEDONA, AZ (July 3, 2009) - The Sedona City Council at a special meeting held Thursday, July 2 chose Sedona resident Marc DiNunzio to fill the empty-council seat vacated by former-council member Marc Sterling.

The council voted 4-2 for Mr. DiNunzio, with Mayor Rob Adams and Councilman Cliff Hamilton voting against; councilors Dan Surber, John Bradshaw, Nancy Scagnelli and Pud Colquitt voting for.

Due to the split vote, Councilor Colquitt attempted to have the council approve DiNuzio’s selection by a unanimous vote, in an effort to show unity.

Instead, Mayor Adams noted on record that he supports DiNunzio’s nomination.

“It was a close call between Marc DiNunzio and Mike Ward,” Mayor Adams said. “DiNunzio was my second choice and Ward was my first. I did not vote for DiNunzio simply because he was not my first choice. Mike Ward's responses were more in depth and he researched the hot topics.”

The council also interviewed former city councilmember Jerry Frey, and Sedona residents Greg Ensminger and Mike Ward.

All four applicants were asked similar questions by council members, questions that were given to them prior to their appearance so they could be prepared.

Each interview was conducted with the applicants individually so the others could not hear how each responded.

Three citizens attended the interviews.

Questions ranged from how familiar the applicants were with the budget; the manner in which they make decisions; the weight public opinion has on their decision-making process; issues the council has failed to address; how their presence on the council would affect civil relations between council members; whether reserves should be tapped; and the role of government in the community.

Mr. DiNunzio said his reason for seeking appointment to the council rather than running in an election was opportunity to make things better.

“It fits for me,” he said. “Tough times provide opportunity. Through financial management we can develop revenue streams and work to increase the quality of life in our town.

In response to a question posed by Councilor Scagnelli why he would be the most qualified to fill Mr. Sterling’s seat he noted numerous similarities.

“We are both called Mark,” he quipped. “Marc is a financial man. I am a financial man. He’s a small-businessman. I’m a small businessman. He loves Sedona. I love Sedona.”

Answering a question posed by Councilman Surber on the criteria he would use in making tough decisions, he said his approach would be data/information based and he would consider numerous factors.

“It’s kind of like stirring soup,” he said. “We need to ask -- Where are we now? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? I seek out not just data but information of all forms; the experience of other cities. I would analyze it. Have the staff analyze it and then come up with a scenario. I am led by data but I keep in mind how it impacts people. Public input added to the mix is critical as well.”

To a question posed by Councilor Hamilton on issues he feels the city might be handling better or differently, Mr. DiNunzio was supportive of the council’s actions.

“My experience is the council is covering all serious issues,” he said. “Everything is on the table. I have no criticisms. We are all pulling on the same end of the rope.”

Councilor Colquitt posed an especially-poignant question on what the responsibility of a city government has to its residents and the responsibility of the residents to their government.

“We have a responsibility to turn over what we have in as good or better condition to the next generation,” he said. “How we make decisions impacts the quality of life in our city. Our primary responsibility is to be a beacon, to do the right thing. If we do it right people will think they did it themselves.”

Councilman Surber wanted to know how he felt about funding social programs that are not the direct responsibility of the city.

“I see the Chamber [of Commerce] and the Film Festival as providing a return for the community,” he said. “It is important for the community to have an arts culture. But we have a finite amount of dollars. We need to be staying on top of these organizations, help them and move on.”

Councilor Hamilton wanted to know his position on dipping into reserves to meet budget deficits.

“Finances ebb and flow,” he said. “We had a growth path to service the community and now the reserves are being dipped into. This is an opportunity to look into this and see how we can make changes and smart decisions.”

Mayor Adams asked if his being chosen to serve on the council would add to the perceived divisiveness in the council.

“I am not divisive,” he said. “I just want to focus on the issues. We are what we are. We behave like we behave. We have differences of opinion. It’s not personal.”

He said controversy is a “strong disagreement of opinions.”

“We must move past opinions to informed decision making,” he said.

He was asked if he felt there was a “disconnect” between the council and the community.

“I don’t think there is,” he said. “There is a lack of information in the community. The council makes decisions based on information. The public has opinions not based on information.”

Councilor Scagnelli said a small, core group of the same people turn out for council meetings, write the letters and represent one-tenth of one percent of the voting population in Sedona.

Councilman Surber said the problem with the community is that people are put on one side or another.

Councilor Scagnelli wanted to know what he would do to bring others in.

“We need to brainstorm on this,” he said. “People are living their private lives.”

He was asked how he would vote if individuals in the audience were firmly against what he felt was right.

“It’s not about me,” he said. “It is about doing the right thing for the community.”

Mr. DiNunzio admitted he had not been to a council meeting in the past month. Applicants Mike Ward and Jerry Frye have been attending council meetings regularly.

Mayor Adams said that was a concern for him and a factor in voting against picking Mr. DiNunzio for the seat.

“He didn’t come to council meetings,” Mayor Adams said. “That was my concern. The new council member needs to hit the ground running and know the issues they are addressing.”

In closing, Mr. DiNunzio spoke of his Sedona experience.

“I love my life in Sedona,” he said. “It’s been good to me. I like going to the store and spending an extra-half hour talking to people that I know. I want to continue to make my town better. That’s why I am here.”

Editor’s Note: To see how the applicants who were not chosen answered their questions, click on our video of the selection process.