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Sedona commission raises alarm as state SHPO funding faces cuts; volunteers to draft support letter, schedules SHPO training visit
Summary
The City of Sedona Historic Preservation Commission on an open-meeting agenda discussed an urgent funding crisis at the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office and agreed to pursue local advocacy and training.
The City of Sedona Historic Preservation Commission on an open-meeting agenda discussed an urgent funding crisis at the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and agreed to pursue local advocacy and training.
Commissioners were alerted to a recent letter from Jim McPherson, identified in the meeting as the president of the Arizona Historic Preservation Office, saying federal preservation funding for fiscal year 2025 had not been released and proposed FY26 federal funding would effectively eliminate many preservation grants. Commissioners were told SHPO could exhaust its funds “as soon as August,” which would affect the certified local government (CLG) program, National Register support and grant oversight for local projects.
Commissioners and staff discussed immediate next steps and communications. The commission agreed it was appropriate to seek a volunteer to draft a letter describing SHPO’s local value and urging state representatives to preserve preservation funding; staff said it would work with legal to determine how a draft could be transmitted quickly if necessary. The commission also confirmed that a SHPO representative, Adrianna (Adrianna/Adrianna spelled variably in the meeting) Urban, is scheduled to speak to the commission on Aug. 11 about the CLG program and that the commission would proceed with that invitation unless funding changes prevent SHPO staff from attending.
Commissioners stressed that even if the municipal commission’s own operations would not end, the loss of SHPO resources would reduce technical assistance, grant programs and the state-level staff who help towns with National Register nominations and preservation outreach. Staff and commissioners discussed short-term local responses including drafting supportive correspondence, alerting city council and watching the state budget process closely.
No formal vote on an official commission-sponsored letter was taken at this meeting; staff described a path in which a volunteer could prepare language for legal review so the commission’s concerns could be communicated quickly if a formal agendaed vote could not be scheduled before funding deadlines.
Why it matters: Local preservation work often relies on SHPO staff and federal pass-through grants. If SHPO loses funding, Sedona’s CLG-related support, technical reviews and access to federal preservation programs could be curtailed.
The commission said it will monitor state budget actions, proceed with the Aug. 11 training visit from the SHPO representative, and pursue rapid drafting and legal review of a letter to state representatives documenting local impacts and asking for restored preservation funding.
