Mayor Sandy Moriarty

Meet Sandy Moriarty.  Sandy is the esteemed Mayor of the City Of Sedona

Q: Please tell us about the path you took to become Mayor of Sedona.

A: I never expected or anticipated being Mayor. When I first came to Sedona, I worked at the front desk of the King’s Ransom Hotel, which is now the Arabella Hotel. In January of 1972, Sedona was unincorporated. I got involved with city politics, and I began investigating how to get incorporated. At about the same time, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns came to Sedona. It held a five-week class about getting incorporated as a city at Clark Memorial Clubhouse in Clarkdale. We formed a group (I was the only woman) and talked about it, but that first group disbanded. A few years later, I got into another group, and we did have an election (we lost). We finally got officially incorporated in January of 1988. I served on the first appointed council for five months (not as Mayor). It was a different job than today. In 2014, when Rob Adams decided not to run again, I decided that I needed to run and won.

Q: As Mayor, what would you say is the most enjoyable part of being in that position?

A: For me, it’s always about getting things done and making things happen that is in the best interest of the community truly. It sounds like it’s just a line that people say, but it’s not to me. I want to see things happen the way I believe is best for the city. And that’s the only promise I’ve ever made.

Q: How long have you lived or worked in Sedona?

A: I’ve been here for 49 years, but I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, Dallas, Oregon, and then Marathon, Florida.

Q: What brought you to Sedona in the early days?

A: When we left Marathon, we drove across the country looking for someplace to live, and we came across Sedona.

Q: What do you love most about living in Sedona?

A: I was born and raised in Seattle, which is a big city. It’s busy, full of traffic and although it’s a beautiful place, it is a big city.

Q:  When visitors or people from out of town come to visit, where do you take them or what do you show them?

A: I always take them up to the Airport Vista because it is a beautiful place to see Sedona. I haven’t had that many people come to visit lately. My family has been here a few times, and they have already seen all the sites, but there’s Red Rock Crossing, and now the historical museum. Also, walking around Uptown visiting different places and restaurants. I also like taking people to Jerome, which is a unique place.

Q:  What is the future for you in Sedona, whether you will be in the position for a long time, or do you see other opportunities? 

A: That’s up to the voters. I don’t make that decision until the time comes so I can’t tell you for sure.

Q: How would you like to be remembered?

A: I hope people would remember that I got things done and that we didn’t just kick the can down the road. And, of course, getting the traffic study underway as well as affordable housing.

Q: What do you do for fun?

A: Politics is fun for me, especially these days. I do pay a lot of attention to politics, ha-ha. I used to hike a lot, and I very much enjoy movies. The Film Festival has always been a favorite of mine; I love it.

Leave a Reply