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.