College abandons for now strategy announced at October 2024 meeting that it would increase annual property tax rate by one percentage pointÂ
Readers may recall that at its October 2024 District Governing Board meeting, Yavapai Community College (YCC) leadership informed the Board of its plan to adopt an annual strategy of requesting a one percent increase in County property taxes. According to the College, this incremental approach was intended to soften public reaction to periodic tax hikes.
However, within a matter of months, the College appears to have reversed course. At the April 22 Board meeting, Dr. Clint Ewell, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, indicated that the College would not seek a property tax rate increase for the 2025–26 budget year.
The reason for this strategic shift remain unclear. Some speculate that the decision may be linked to political considerations, particularly with District 5 Representative Steve Bracety facing re-election in 2026. College-affiliated incumbent Ray Sigafoos lost his seat in 2024, possibly due in part to voter dissatisfaction with his consistent support for tax increases.
Another possible reason is that College leadership recognizes the lack of sufficient support on the Board to pass a property tax rate hike amid the current political climate.
It is noteworthy that at the April meeting Mr. Bracety stated he would not have supported a tax rate increase if one had been proposed, citing recent conversations with business leaders who expressed concern about the economic impact of tariffs on consumers. In that context, he said, a tax rate increase would have been untenable.