Letter from Lake Montezuma Property Owners Associations sets out reasons for opposing property tax increase

“Dear Governing Board Members:

“The Board of the Lake Montezuma Property Owners Association would like to express our concern and opposition to the proposed property tax increase.  The large portion of the Montezuma-Rimrock area property taxes (currently 15%) which are collected to support the College District coupled with the lack of services provided from the district to our area has been and continues to be a source of discontent for residents.”

“We participate with and support the recommendations of  the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee created by the Yavapai College District Governing Board.  We thank you for this avenue of communication and request that you accept the committee’s recommendations.”

“Thank you for this opportunity to comment.”

“Respectfully,

“Janet Aniol

“Lake Montezuma POA Board

“Jim Bowser, Ron Melcher, Phil Edwards, Janet Aniol, Lisa Taylor, Sharon Olsen, Alan Spacone

“PO Box 5292

“Lake Montezuma, AZ 86342”

The letter was ignored by the three-member Prescott/Prescott Valley majority on the Governing Board

West County Representatives’ rubber stamp College President Penelope Wills demand to increase property taxes at Special Taxation session on Tuesday

For almost 50 years, the Verde Valley has stood in the shadow of the Prescott Community College Governing Board’s political power. This has allowed the Board, under a little known Arizona statute, to funnel money into projects and programs on the West side of Yavapai County while sending back to the East side of the County just enough financial crumbs to keep residents and a few weak-spined local politicians like the mayors of Clarkdale and Cottonwood from raising serious questions about how it is being spent.

During the past five decades, the success of the Prescott fundraising scheme has been phenomenal. Sedona and Verde Valley taxes have been used to build two campuses, dormitories, athletic fields, a professional tennis court, a basketball arena, indoor swimming complex, and a huge dinner theatre seating over 1,000. All on the West side of the County!

These projects, and many more, have depended on draining (some now say “stealing”) from 30 to 40 percent of every property tax dollar coming from Sedona and the Verde Valley and keeping it in Prescott. It has also depended on consistently raising property taxes and student tuition on a regular basis (6 of the last 10 years property taxes have been raised) (tuition raised in some form every year over last decade).

The outcome on Tuesday was no different. There are five persons on the Governing Board but only two represent Sedona and the Verde Valley. Those two Representatives made solid, rational arguments in opposition to the 2% property tax increase but lost 3-2. A formal Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee had also asked the Board not to impose a tax increase. It was ignored by the West side trio.

Prior to Tuesday’s taxation meeting, the Blog believed that Chair Pat McCarver and former Chair Ray Sigafoos were in the back pocket of College President Penelope Wills—their history is to rubber stamp anything Penelope or any administration dreamed up. The only question was how new Prescott Valley Board member Steve Irwin would vote. However, he did not disappoint Wills. It was his vote that gave Prescott the needed majority to keep more money flowing into the Administration’s pockets.

If you go back over the last ten years, you will discover that the Prescott majority on the Governing Board has rubber stamped every tax increase and every tuition increase asked for by the administrators. Why not? They have used it to build a superb college over there—not a community college. Meanwhile, they have left the East side of the County to wither on the vine.

Will it ever change?

List of reasons why District Governing Board should reject increasing property tax rate at its June 9 meeting in Prescott

•1. There have been no public forums where the need for the tax rate increase has been thoroughly discussed, justified or questioned.
•2. Most County residents, especially those on the West side or the County, are totally unaware of the unchecked power of the Board to raise taxes today.
•3. County residents are not allowed to express their view by voting on the tax increase, which by necessity would inform them of what is going on.
•4. The College just increased basic student tuition by 4% on the erroneous premise that state aid would be reduced.
•5. College cash flow is the highest in its history.
•6. The College is sitting on $20 million dollars in reserve accounts that it has no plans for spending.
•7. Arizona increased rather than decreased its state aid to Yavapai Community College this year.
•8. The actual headcount of students taking courses from the College (on-line, face-to-face, in high school, anywhere) has plunged from 16,312 in 2007 to 11,518 in 2014.
•9. Since 2012 the College has eliminated 46 full-time positions, which reduces the cost of operations.
•10. Since 2011, budgeted scholarship assistance has been reduced by over $1 million dollars.
•11. The College is using millions of dollars of primary taxpayer property taxes to support a $118 million dollar capital program rather than seek voter approval for General Obligation bonds, which are repaid through a secondary tax. The College is using this method to hide from County residents what it is doing.
•12. The result of using primary taxpayer money for capital projects is that primary tax revenue that almost everyone in the County thinks is going to scholarships, educational programs, and staff salaries is being poured into bricks and motor without their approval.
•13. The focus by the College on the $118 million dollar capital plan is being carried out at a time when about 37% of all classes are online and demand continues to grow.
•14. The College wastes taxpayer money on projects such as the $1.3 million dollar professional tennis complex is just built when it doesn’t even have a tennis team.
•15. The College has increased the primary tax rate in 5 of the last 9 years.
•16. The College has increased student tuition in some form ten consecutive years.

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board will consider whether to increase your property tax rate by 2% at a public hearing to be held on the Prescott Campus June 9 at 11 a.m.  in the  Community Room, Building 19, Room 147, 1100 E. Sheldon Street, Prescott, AZ.  If you can take time off from work to attend and speak your mind, you will have 3 minutes to give the Board your view about the increase.