Padilla denies an intention to suggest that Chevalier quit the Board | Chevalier perceives Padilla’s intention was to encourage him to leave Board; Chevalier defends record supporting the College as a whole while charging members on the west side of Mingus Mountain as riding a Community College gravy train that has left his side of Mingus Mountain far behind
Third District Representative Mr. Paul Chevalier
As the sun began to sink on the day-long Yavapai Community College District Governing Board Workshop on Friday, January 28 at the Prescott Valley Yavapai Community College Center, Third District Representative Paul Chevalier and Fifth District representative Mitch Padilla came to loggerheads over Mr. Chevalier’s sometimes contrary views and persistent support of Sedona and the Verde Valley during Board meetings.
Mr. Padilla charged Mr. Chevalier as being “fundamentally opposed to the majority on the Board” who work “for the betterment of the whole of the College” and worried that Chevalier’s strong commitment to his District was not productive. “Every time you bring it up, it is going to be voted down,” said Padilla. (See video below). He went on to ask Chevalier, “why do you remain on the Board . . .?
Fifth District Representative Mr. Mitch Padilla
Chevalier perceived Padilla’s comments and question as amounting to a proposal that he quit the Board. Padilla denied that was his intention. Chevalier said that “the vast majority of the time I have voted with the whole Board” on issues. He also said that he remains on the Board because he made a promise to the people of his district that he would try and get more equitable treatment for them. “The district is way, way behind what they should get,” said Chevalier.
Chevalier attributed the fact that the other Board members do not feel as strongly as he does about representing the citizens of their districts is that they are on what he described as a Community College “gravy train.” Meanwhile, according to Chevalier, citizens on the east side of Mingus Mountain have been left far behind.
An unedited video clip of the three-minute exchange between Mr. Chevalier and Mr. Padilla appears below.