Last second addition of $10 million for CTEC expansion is approved without Governing Board comment. The $28 million in total approved by the Board is the largest expenditure of taxpayer funds on the west side of Mingus Mountain in a budgetary year since the Board approved $103.8 million in renovation ten years ago with 95% or more going directly to the west side Mingus Mountain for development
In addition to raising the County primary property tax rate by five percent by a 4-1 vote, the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board approved $28 million in capital improvement funds to spend on several new projects located solely on the west side of Mingus Mountain. The Third District representative abstained. The decision was made during the Board’s May 16, 2023, meeting. This marks the largest allocation of taxpayer funds going to the west side of Mingus since the Board’s $103.8 million renovation approval a decade ago, with over 95% of those funds marked for the west side of Mingus.
The approved projects include a $15 million renovation for the Prescott Campus library, a $10 million expansion of the Career and Technology Center (CTEC) at the Prescott airport, and a $3 million housing project for west County faculty located just outside Prescott Valley.
The budget for the library renovation spans three years, with $3.09 million allocated for 2023-24,
SEDONA/VERDE VALLEY TAXPAYER
$10.296 million for 2024-25, and $3.05 million for 2025-26.
The last-minute addition of $10 million to the capital budget aims to fund the expansion of the CTEC Center, adding up to 20,000 square feet of space. The College plans to introduce new programs and enhance existing ones, focusing on training technicians and incorporating automation and AI technologies to meet workforce needs. The budget approved for CTEC also covers three years and supports expending $1 million in 23-24; $7 million in 24-25 and $2 million in 26-26. The project is called “Sensory Integration Accelerator.”
Furthermore, a portion of the remaining $3 million of the $28 million will be used to create an efficiency apartment in Building #34 on the Prescott Campus. The purpose and beneficiaries of this project remain undisclosed. Additionally, the College plans to establish a faculty village for west side faculty just outside Prescott Valley, using a significant portion of the remaining $3 million to purchase at least ten manufactured homes.
The budget also outlines the purchase of four recreational vehicles to be parked on the Verde Campus, potentially rented out as housing for faculty, staff, and students. The College will also assess the demand for workforce housing on the east side of Mingus Mountain.
Notably, there are no funds allocated for the Sedona Center in the current year or the next five years, as per the budget. The east of Mingus Mountain Verde Campus brewing and distilling project, approved a year ago, has now been put on the back burner for at least two more years.
Also notable is the fact that the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board now consists of three elected, two appointed, and all unpaid politicians representing five separate districts in Yavapai County.
