Deflock Tucson

Attribution: https://gcmaz.com/kaff-news/kaff_news/sedona-mayor-scott-jablow-resigns/

Authors: Michael Manny and Tony Bracha

Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow announced effective today, Sept. 30, that he is resigning from office following a censure from the Sedona City Council on Sept. 10. 

Jablow has been a member of the Sedona government for the past 11 years and was elected mayor in 2022. 

Jablow was censured by the Sedona City Council on Sept. 10 following a controversy involving the Automated License Plate Reader Program and conflicts with Sedona Police Chief Stephanie Foley. 

The ALPR cameras were installed without input from the public. 

The mayor was the lone member of the City Council to vote against the shutdown of the Sedona Police Department’s ALPR program with Flock Group, Inc. 

The program included automated cameras that take images of vehicle license plates and convert them into readable data. They also match against national and local law enforcement databases.

The cameras, which are in use in Flagstaff and other municipalities around the state, became controversial due to public privacy concerns. The City of Sedona had already entered into a two-year contract with Flock prior to the program being shut down. 

Earlier this summer, Chief Foley alleged that SPD was being micromanaged and held under constant scrutiny by Jablow and that he even interfered with day-to-day operations. Jablow responded with a complaint of his own, alleging that Chief Foley created a hostile work environment.

The Sept. 10 censure hearing resulted in a 5-2 vote, with Jablow and Councilman Derek Pfaff as the only votes against the censure. 

Following that vote, Jablow said that he would not resign and that he would only leave if removed by voters during the 2026 election or by recall.

Jablow released a Letter to the Citizens of Sedona through Sedona.biz, where he thanked his supporters and gave some explanation as to his actions that led to the censure.

“When I came into office, I felt I had both a mandate and an obligation to be proactive. Over time, however, I came to see that many in the community—and I at times—interpreted the role of mayor as carrying greater authority than the City’s system of government intends. In reality, Sedona’s city manager form of government places day-to-day management in the hands of a professional administrator,” Jablow said.

Jablow noted in the letter that his background in law enforcement and other public service roles taught him to be direct and decisive, which sometimes brought him into conflict with Sedona’s form of government. The mayor, believing that Sedona needed a strong voice at the state level, tried to provide it. 

According to Sedona city officials, Vice Mayor Holli Ploog will automatically become acting mayor, in line with the Sedona City Code and the Council Rules of Procedure. At the Oct. 14 Sedona City Council meeting, the council will select a current councilor to serve as interim mayor for the remainder of Jablow’s term, through Nov. 2026.

Coinciding with this move, the city will post a notice for a vacant city councilor position, where they will appoint someone to serve as a city councilor until the next election.