Yavapai Community College Vice President of Finance and Administrative Serves Dr Clint Ewell reported to the District Governing Board at its Budget Workshop Meeting, Friday, February 24, 2023, that the State of Arizona has increased its annual financial support for Yavapai Community College to $6.4 million.
According to Dr. Ewell, Dr. Rhine and her colleagues deserve recognition for their successful lobbying efforts, which resulted in the passing of Prop 207 and Rural Aid, securing nearly $4 million in funding for the college. However, Dr. Ewell pointed out that a significant portion of the new financial aid comes with restrictions on how it can be used, limiting it to specific programs. Additionally, Dr. Ewell noted that the state’s financial support for Operations and Maintenance is minimal.
You may view Dr. Ewell’s short one minute report (video clip) by clicking here.
Yavapai Community College notified the District Governing Board at its October meeting that it will be seeking a primary property tax rate increase in May of 2023. It said that it needs more operating revenue and the only available source appears at present to be Yavapai County primary property taxpayers.
The College noted during its discussion with the Governing Board that it has not asked for a primary tax rate increase for four years. Typically, it asks for an increase every three years. Each year, when the College does not increase the property tax as allowed by law, the amount not used is carried forward. Thus, the reason for the 18 percent increase available, which the College has said it would never use.
The primary tax rate for the Community College can be raised by a majority of the five member Governing Board voting for it. While citizens will be given an opportunity to express their opinion about the tax rate increase at the spring budget adoption meeting, which is usually in May or June, they do not have a veto over it.
Most speculate that the College will ask around a four or five percent tax rate increase. But much may change between now and May 2023.
Many unanswered questions surround the decision by Yavapai Community College to invest somewhere around $10 million to construct a 14,000 square foot commercial lab to teach brewing and distilling. The facility, when completed, will sell its product to the public. (Click here to review video explanation by Vice President Clint Ewell at May meeting.)
The puzzle began in March of 2022 when the College rolled out a tentative budget showing it was going to spend $5 million to expand its Career and Technical Education facility. (See tentative budget proposal below.)
Although in May the College seems to claim that the beer brewing facility was discussed in depth at the March Governing Board meeting, apparently by College consultants, a review of that meeting fails to show a discussion of a brewery taking place. Instead, a casual observer would conclude the capital discussion at the March meeting involved expanding the existing 10,000 square CTE facility on the Verde Campus.
The brewery expenditure, which was marked as such in the budget, first appeared in the April proposed final budget. There was no explanation for the change from $5 million to $8 million. (See April proposed final budget below.)
Finally, at the May budget hearing, the brewery once again appeared on the capital budget for 2022-23 with a figure of $10 million. At this meeting, it was the first time the public learned that the College now intended to build a 14,000 square foot facility. Once again, there was little explanation of the jump from the earlier $5 million rough estimate to $10 million 60 days later. (See May final budget below.)
Efforts to obtain more information about the need for such a facility, where the planning is at, whether there is a need, etc. have so far been futile as the College keeps a tight lid on its planning.
March Draft Capital budget below:
April propose budget below:
Yavapai Community College has been under constant pressure from some educational advocates in Sedona and the Verde Valley to justify spending millions of dollars on its large athletic program. All of the playing fields and facilities it uses are located in Prescott (One field leased in Prescott Valley).
Few east-side residents attend any of the College’s matches or games. One reason is an absence of public or College transportation available to transport east-siders to the sporting events, almost all of which occur on the west side of the County. Another reason is a lack of interest among east-siders in the teams as only a tiny percentage of the total number of athletes come from towns or cities on the east side of the County. Moreover, the College teams are seldom followed in local east-side media.
In an effort to justify spending millions on athletics, the College persuaded the District Governing Board at its May meeting to set aside $100,000 from its $90 plus million 2022-23 budget for Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood. According to the College, the money was intended to “invest in athletic fields to allow portion of YC season to be played in the VV.”
How the $100,000 figure was arrived at or exactly how Mingus intended to use the money is unclear. The documents provided to the public so far do not indicate Mingus made a formal request for the money. It appears more like a gift.
The Yavapai Community College Governing Board approved a $91.9 million budget 4-1 for 2022-2023 at its May 17 meeting. The approved budget was 1.9% lower than the 2021-2022 budget.
The Board did not increase the property tax levy for Yavapai County residents. This was the fourth consecutive year it had not increased the property tax levy.
Salaries were increased for staff and faculty across-the-board by 4%. There was also a one-time .45% bonus approved. Furthermore, the budget included 1.3% of additional revenue to be used for some salary market adjustments, “career ladders, promotions and minimum wage.”
The salary recommendations for Yavapai Community College employees has been increased only slightly since the Administrators provided the District Governing Board with estimates in April. At the May meeting, the District Governing Board will be asked to finalize and approve a 4% across-the-board salary increase, .45% one-time bonus, and 1.3% for market adjustments, etc. for staff and faculty.
Despite the proposed increase in salaries, it appears that the Administration will not ask for a property tax rate boost.
Sedona Vice Mayor Scott Jablow and Councilor Jessica Williamson have asked that the Community College provide a tax accounting showing how much tax money has been received over the last four-year period by the College from the cities, towns, and unincorporated areas of the Verde Valley. They have also asked that an estimate be provided showing how much of the tax money collected was returned as an investment in the Sedona/Verde Valley area. The requests were made during the September 28 meeting of the Council where the Community College was providing an update on College activities in the Sedona/Verde Valley area.
Sedona Vice Mayor Scott Jablow reminded the Community College executives who were presenting the update that a similar request had been made two and a half or three years ago but so far the College had not responded.
Councilor Jessica Williamson recalled that at some point in past meetings with the Community College it was suggested by College executives that such an accounting was “impossible to do.” This did not appear persuasive to Ms. Williamson.
The Community College responded that it was “transparent” and asked that the request be made in writing so it could be presented to the Chief Financial Officer in Prescott. The Councilors agreed to do so.
A video clip obtained from the Sedona City website with added Blog comments of the discussion follows below.
Fifth District Yavapai Community College Governing Board representative Mitch Pedilla voted to approve the Community College’s $92.3 million budget at the May Board meeting. The budget included a 3% across the board increase for faculty and staff.
In his comments to the Governing Board, Representative Pedilla made it clear that he always has concerns about taxpayers when it comes to budgets. Local taxpayers should “never be taken for granted,” he said.
In response to Representative Paul Chevalier’s list of the Community College’s inequitable educational and cultural activities gap between the East and West sides of the County, he said that resolving that issue should be in the hands of the Community College president Dr. Lisa Rhine. He also said that he would be “shocked” if all the inequities listed by Mr. Chevalier would be addressed with any great change over the next ten to 20 years. He observed that in education “it is always balance against the greater good of the community and how education is supposed to be delivered.”
Mr. Pedilla lauded Dr. Rhine for her work in operating the Community College during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the Community College has done a great job of reaching out to the community in a variety of ways. He reflected on the excellent experience of his two daughters who had graduated from high school in Prescott and their positive experience with Yavapai Community College and its dual enrollment program.
In regard to the budget and its details, he found the presentation by the Community College a “great readout” and applauded Dr. Clint Ewell and his staff for their work on it. He was satisfied that the numbers provided him and other Board members the opportunity to “go deeper” into various areas and ask relevant questions. He noted there is always the potential in a budget for greater transparency but the numbers presented by the Community College were “very good.”
In closing, he said he would vote to approve the Budget. As an afterthought, he wondered why Yavapai College did not call itself “Yavapai Community College.”
You may view a video clip of Mr. Pedilla’s comments on the budget below. You may also view the entire Workshop by going to the District Governing Board website.