by Rob Adams, Mayor of Sedona

Sedona, AZ - July 3, 2008 - I have often wondered what it would be like to be the President of the United States. One can only imagine the pressures and perks of the office.

In the short time that I have been mayor, I have been getting a small taste of what it is like to be a figurehead in public office. I have met with many of the dedicated people and city staff that are working hard and have visionary ideas for the benefit of our community.

I have talked with many of you in the community about your hopes and concerns. I have started implementing new ideas. That is the fun stuff.

The other side of being mayor is being under the microscope 24 hours a day. Every move, comment and decision is subject to scrutiny and criticism. Honestly, I don't mind criticism as long as it is constructive. It all comes with the job.

I find it incredibly exciting and intellectually stimulating and look forward to going to work every day. You have to be able to separate what is and is not important in the scheme of things. I am not the thickest-skinned guy in the world, but I have found that in order not to be affected by the challenging part of being mayor, I must be clear on my priorities. And my priorities have become quite simple. At the end of the day, I must be able to look at myself in the mirror and know in my heart that I have done the best that I can. I must stay in touch with my humility and not compromise my principles. If I start to deviate from that, I trust that the citizens of Sedona will let me know. Thank you in advance.

I know that there are many great ideas out there that you would like to share with me. And I want to hear them. Please understand that I have every good intention to return all phone calls, emails and other types of communication. I am working as quickly as possible to organize myself to become effective and efficient at my job. The reality is, the mayor's job is a busy one. There are countless meetings, public appearances, speeches, letters to write and decisions to make every day. My goal is to respond to all communication within 24 to 48 hours. If I don't do that, please send me a reminder.

My e-mail address is radams@sedonaaz.gov. My phone number is 204-7127. My office is in the City Manager/Mayor's building at City Hall. My appointment hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. If you see me around town, say hi! I would like to meet you.

I want to engage and unify this community to be a part of our decision making process. I want to find our common goals and work together to achieve them.

To this end, I am forming several new Mayor/Council advisory committees:

1) A budget steering committee that will also make recommendations on how Sedona can become economically sustainable.

2) A committee to make recommendations on environmental issues, as well as how Sedona can become a model of sustainable living and development.

3) A "Community Development" committee that will research way in which we can improve our quality of life as residents of Sedona.

The city will be advertising in the near future for applicants to serve on these three committees. If you have an interest in any of these areas, I encourage you to get involved.

I want the next two years of my term to be positive and productive. I need your help. Please join me in making Sedona a community that reflects its world-class environment. If you have a criticism, offer a solution. If you have an idea, bring it forward. If you have a dream, make it happen. Together, we can make a positive difference for all of us that live in Sedona.