Jessica Williamson says Sedona would have welcomed the same courtesy showed to other communities
Jessica Williamson, a member of the Sedona City Council speaking as a private individual, criticized president Wills at the September 1 Governing Board meeting for not keeping the Sedona Council and residents informed of her intent to encourage the Governing Board to increase property taxes on Verde Valley residents.
In her two minute presentation to the Board, she urged support of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee and expressed her annoyance at the failure of president Penelope Wills to provide the same information about the proposed tax increase that she had given to other communities in the Valley.
Ms. Williams stated that the Sedona City Council has “four meetings a month . . . and would certainly have welcomed the courtesy that President Wills showed to other communities.” She went on stating that “Yavapai College benefits from significant taxes paid by Sedona residents and I would think that part of president Wills job is to keep the taxpayers notified of important changes. She is, after all, a public official, and needs to show respect to the taxpayers, the owners of the college.”
The complete two minute speech may be seen by clicking here.
When the Committee asked for the information from Vice President Clint Ewell, he refused to provide it. He claimed that the financial records are not kept by the College in such a way as to provide the information the Committee was seeking.
Total staff cuts since 2012 came to 46. A total of 14 new positions have been created since then. This means that about 12/46 or 26% have been restored on campuses on the West side of the County. Two new positions are slated for the Verde Valley in 2016. She did not say how many new positions are slated for the West side of the County om 2016.
The formal Board decision was made possible only because of the tireless efforts of outraged Sedona citizens and others, who protested the action repeatedly to the Board over the past year, the Sedona City Council, the former and present Sedona Mayors, and the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee. 
Construction of the parking lot and road adjacent the Sedona Center is moving ahead. The road and parking lot became available after the College settled a ten-year-old access dispute with an adjoining landowner. 
The Community College administration will propose approval of a Culinary Arts Fundamentals Certificate at next Tuesday’s meeting (January 13, 1 p.m., the Rock House) on the Prescott Campus.