Sedona Facility Receives little in return for its huge tax investment
Using 2012 data, the City of Sedona reports (9/25/2015) that the Sedona Taxing District annually forks out over $7 million dollars to Yavapai College. Of that amount, $6,589,567 is paid through primary taxes and $754,622 goes to pay off General Obligation bonds.
With total primary tax-based revenue in 2012 flowing to the College from Yavapai County property taxpayers of $43,701,144.00, this means the Sedona Taxing District alone contributed at least 15 percent of the revenue toward operating the College.
In the past two years the College has threatened to close and sell the Sedona Campus and shut down the well respected film program. Because of a wave of outrage at the potential closing, the District Governing Board backed off selling the property by settling a dispute with an adjacent landowner that had festered for a decade. However, the administration followed through on its threat to shut down the Sedona Film School. In fact, the College administration stripped the Sedona Center of all but one or two College credit courses taught by adjuncts. After two years, it has done little to return Yavapai College credit courses to the facility.
There are Osher Lifelong Learning courses offered by the independent nonprofit Osher Foundation. The Foundation is not a part of the College, rather it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pays Sedona Osher employees from a $2 million fund it set up for them. The College provides in-kind support by allowing Osher to use its facility.
The full story carried in the Redrock News online can be read by clicking here.