Reflects a half century betrayal of the College’s obligation to serve the entire residents of Yavapai County fairly
Editor: Robert Oliphant
Opinion: During recent budget discussions, Yavapai Community College leadership submitted its draft Planned and Unplanned Maintenance budget for 2025–26 to the District Governing Board. The proposed total expenditure? $4.463 million.
A closer look reveals a stark imbalance that should concern residents on the Sedona/Verde Valley side of the county: nearly 99% of the funds in this budget are earmarked for facilities in the west—primarily in the Prescott area. (See chart below.)
The total allocation of just $60,000—slightly more than 1% of the maintenance budget—for the Verde Valley Campus and Sedona Center highlights a stark disparity and discloses a pattern of institutional disregard for the east side of Yavapai County that spans more than fifty years.
First, the maintenance budget underscores a historical reality—the Sedona/Verde Valley side of the County has been consistently shortchanged. The Community College’s facilities on the Verde Valley Campus and at the Sedona Center are fewer, newer, and relatively well maintained, but only because so little has ever been built there in the first place.
Second, the plan reflects a half-century pattern of institutional neglect, where development and investment have overwhelmingly favored the Prescott area of Yavapai County while leaving the Verde Valley and Sedona largely ignored. This disparity is no accident—it’s systemic.
Third, it highlights an uncomfortable truth: for over half a century, property taxes collected from Sedona/Verde Valley residents have subsidized projects that overwhelmingly benefit west-side communities and residents. These include, for example, a state-of-the-art, 1,100-seat Performing Arts Center, professional-grade tennis courts, an indoor Olympic swimming pool, and sprawling athletic complexes.
Finally, the maintenance budget makes clear that Sedona/Verde Valley residents are footing the bill for amenities and programs that primarily serve others—not them. The disparity isn’t just financial—it’s a betrayal of the College’s obligation to serve the entire county fairly.
