Mr. Turner has been a leading voice in an ongoing effort to make Sedona a model of environmental sustainability.

Mr. Turner holds an Environmental Science degree from the University of NM.

At his newly formed website:  www.matthewformayor.com, Mr. Turner lays out his platform as follows:

"As Mayor of Sedona, I want to serve the people. This is supposed to be a democracy. The Mayor and City Council should be voting for what the majority wants. Integrity, honesty, and accountability are important in government.

[Commercial and residential] development is good when it is done with respect to the magnificence of Sedona and its views (have a view, don’t be the view), with respect to others around, including saving our open spaces.

Development and growth must be sustainable, economically viable, environmentally responsible, and good for all of Sedona and its residents. I support the Red Rock National Scenic Area proposed by Keep Sedona Beautiful and will work to pass this. Sedona is a small town with small town character that should be preserved and maintained. There are other lands other than forest service lands that can be developed. Developments should be done at a speed that protects present property values. Sedona should be treated like a National Park.

Sedona should be a leader in the state for the environment and a model for the world for the environment and sustainability. Sedona is known worldwide and has been compared to one of the 7 wonders of the world. Sedona should also lead the way with solar and wind energy; we should be the first solar city in America to reduce greenhouse gasses and end our dependence on non-renewable oil. The City won’t have to fund this.  It can be done mostly through Citizenre.com and grants. This will protect the city from blackouts and Sedona will be first to be ready for the depletion of our oil resources and the skyrocketing prices of oil that will soon come.

Sedona is a town with unique, educated citizens, and requires special consideration when doing projects, not a cookie cutter solution from other cities. I support solar sidewalk lighting close to the ground along 89A or something similar that will promote safety but save our dark skies, not 76 large light poles similar to a Las Vegas strip. I support and will work towards bike lanes for all highways in Sedona.

Sedona could be promoted not only as a wonderful place to visit and experience the Red Rocks, but also as a worldwide artist community, a spiritual center for the world where all religions and faiths can coexist peacefully, an environmental capital of the world, a diverse cultural city, [and] a place where all can come and feel welcome. Sedona can become a community that cares not only about itself but about the future of fellow citizens, a super conscious community with integrity and kindness to all beings. The press from this will draw more culture and tourists including ecotourism to our city which will create a strong financial base for the future.

I will work with former President Clinton and Mayors across the country to reduce global warming and make Sedona a “Green” city. This plan calls for Clinton to help the cities pool their purchasing power to lower the price of energy-saving products and accelerate the development of technology to reduce greenhouse gases.

[Editor's note:  In May, 2007 President Clinton, through the William J. Clinton Foundation, announced the creation of a global Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, a project of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI). As part of the Program, 40 cities have agreed to develop a program to make their municipal buildings more energy efficient and provide incentives for private building owners to retrofit their buildings with energy saving technologies. In the initial phase, five global financial institutions have agreed to each raise $1 billion in upfront funding that will be loaned to cities to implement green technologies.  The city governments have agreed to pay back the loans with interest from the energy savings realized.]

I will also work to attract jobs to the area through the [Sedona] Chamber of Commerce that are economically and environmentally sustainable that fit with Sedona’s small town appeal and work towards more affordable housing while protecting current property values.

I will work to encourage businesses to offer a senior citizen and disability discount locally to allow senior citizens and disabled people a better quality of life, work towards transportation options for senior citizens, and work on more youth programs, education programs, and events that will benefit the teens and keep Sedona teens out of trouble. I spent 8 years working in social work much of my time as a Case Manager, and understand the needs of people. I managed several facilities including finances, and worked with hospital administrators and psychiatrists.

I have owned and managed a variety of successful businesses in the last 18 years, and understand business, budgets, and financing well, and will find innovative ways to raise more money for the city budget without affecting the citizens of Sedona.

I have a proven track record of fighting to protect the public. In 2007, our organizations, Green Sedona and Vibrant Sedona, have kept the roads and now City Hall free of toxic pesticides and herbicides to protect public health, and we are now assisting the City in switching to non-toxic cleaning city wide. We did this mostly with our own personal funds to protect the health of Sedona residents and wildlife, and to protect Sedona’s water, air, and soil. We have recently saved the City approximately $33,000 on switching to green cleaning in City Hall on one cleaning contract. I will analyze all expenditures to see where more savings can be made by replacing higher priced services while enhancing quality. I will make sure tax dollars are not wasted and will work to make sure we have a substantial surplus of funds in the city’s budget.

I have always liked the concept developed in Bhutan called 'Gross National Happiness,' and hope Sedona will add this to the community plan. The four principals of GNH are the promotion of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance.
 

About Green Sedona

The mission of Green Sedona is "To work with the City of Sedona and other environmental organizations within Sedona and around the world to make Sedona a model of environmental sustainability for the world; to work with the public in Sedona and around the world to promote and implement environmental educational programs, promote environmental sustainability in all aspects of the environment including solar, wind, alternative energy sources, promoting natural cleaning, personal care products, cosmetics, and pest control, use of energy efficient appliances, lighting, and native planting, and work with businesses to become more ‘green’ or environmental."

Green Sedona's board of directors includes, among others: former Olympic skier and World Freestyle Champion Suzy "Chapstick" Chaffee.  Ms. Chaffee is the founder of the Native Voices Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to invite Native Americans back to their majestic ancestral mountains for skiing and honoring celebrations; attorney Howard Shanker who is running for Arizona Congressional District 1 to fill the seat being vacated by the Republican incumbent Rick Renzi; and Barbara Litrell the President of Keep Sedona Beautiful.

[Home Page] [News Home Page] [Back to Community Page]