Voter concerns over large increases in property tax rates and a Community College west side wasteful spending spree appear main factors among many that were behind William Kiel’s successful challenge
William Kiel
William Kiel unseated Ray Sigafoos as the District 1 representative on the Yavapai Community College Governing Board, ushering in a possible shift for the institution. Kiel, a civil engineer with a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, criticized the Board for engaging in what he described as wasteful spending. He pointed to several controversial decisions, including the Board’s move to raise property tax rates by 8.4% over the past two years, expand the budget by 155% within the same timeframe, and allocate $11 million for a church camp outside Prescott.
Kiel also took issue with President Dr. Lisa Rhine’s salary, which he suggests is approaching $400,000, questioning why the exact figure remains undisclosed to county voters. As an example of further waste, he cited the CTEC building, where “literally hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment made of carbon steel is rusting away” due to the use of swamp coolers rather than adequate air conditioning—an oversight he suggests may cost taxpayers dearly.
Kiel has pledged to improve transparency with a goal of increasing public access to information both at the Board and administration levels.
Sigafoos, who served the Governing Board for twenty years, leaves a legacy that includes seven years as Board chair and two as Board secretary, following his appointment in 2005.
