Interviewed 04.28.25 by 2025 Spring Intern Sydney Horton
My name is Sydney Horton, and I am a freshman at the University of Arizona and also an Arizona List intern. I got the exciting opportunity to speak with Sedona Councilwoman Kathy Kinsella a few weeks ago, and she was able to provide me with some interesting insight into her role as councilwoman in the city of Sedona, Arizona. Councilwoman Kinsella got her start in politics in New York, where she served various roles such as Superintendent of Highways, and the president of her local democratic club, among other positions. She eventually made her way out to Sedona, Arizona, where she first began serving on the planning zoning commission for 3 years before running for city council.
Councilwoman Kinsella is now in her second city council term and has been a strong advocate for expanding workforce housing, managing traffic-related tourism, as well as the retail and bed taxes in place in Sedona as a result of its tourism-based economy. She explained how the top issues she was concerned about in Sedona was housing, specifically affordability and workforce housing, as well as development issues. The city is working on master planning 40 acres of city property, which includes multiple components within the plan, like housing, recreation spaces, preservation of open space and views, and creating a gateway into the city. There is also concern about the short-term rental industry, companies like Airbnb and VRBO increase tourism and increase the likelihood of people and corporations buying properties for long-term tenants to rent for business. Sedona has lost 18% of its housing stock to short-term rentals in recent years, which in turn raised the prices of housing for everyone.
As a member of the Sedona City Council, Councilwoman Kinsella has been using her position to actively address these issues. She voices concerns, recognizes needs, and supports the city with her vote. She also actively pushes the city to collaborate with developers to design and build housing opportunities. She encourages staff to think outside the box to find ways to build affordable housing, like using low-income tax credit deals for building credit and voting in support of housing projects.
Councilwoman Kinsella feels that since being on council, her voice on housing availability has had a large impact on not only the city, working to bring down housing costs, but also on public safety, decreasing homelessness, and expanding safety procedures in planning. There have been moves to allocate funds for partnership projects in housing and maintaining quality of life for residents so they don’t put another house on the market. She’s also pushed the city to make it more walkable and to link neighborhoods together, as well as allocate resources for liveability in general. She explained that while she rarely receives compliments, as opposed to criticisms, the compliments are truly what motivate her to continue fighting the challenges the city of Sedona faces. In addition to being surrounded by people who understand the nuances of the city council and actively provide her support. Seeing her work come to life throughout the city, like watching kids play on a new playset, seeing a new park come to life, and seeing the city come together, make it all worth it for her.
I asked her what advice she has for the young people who are eager to make a difference today, and she explained young people must understand government practices and policies, and the law. She said that no matter how old you are, you will always have something to learn so be open to new ideas. She also said to try and understand somebody else’s opinion, because it might change your mind, or it will allow you to become ever more confident in your ideas.