Is College involved in a Political ploy or does it have a peculiar obsession with summer survey?

As Election Day for Yavapai Community College Governing Board candidates nears, critical eyebrows are being raised in some quarters about the actions of the Community College. Critics ask: “Is the College using the feeble results of a summer survey to disguise a political campaign designed to return College Administrator favorites, Herold Harrington and Dale Fitzner, to the Governing Board? If that is not the College’s purpose, does its behavior in the last two months suggest it has become peculiarly obsessed with the survey?

Arizona law, AZ 15-1408, prevents a College from spending or using resources of any kind to influence the outcome of an election. However, a College is allowed to report “on official actions of the governing board.” That exception, say critics, was seized upon by the College to disguise its campaign for candidates Harrington and Fitzner.

The critics point to the following series of events occurring in the last two months to support their view.

1. On September 30, President Penelope Wills hosted a radio show on KYCA in Prescott. Only candidates Harrington and Fitzner appeared during a 15 minute segment devoted to the summer survey. Sounding like the leader of a political party endorsing two of its members, Wills gushed and cooed about the Governing Board during the survey segment of the program. She said: “We have a fantastic District Governing Board.” “I couldn’t ask for a better board.” “[W]hat a good job they are doing.” Could political candidates ask for a better endorsement from the president of the College and finer media exposure? Critics believe Harrington and Fitzner were put on the radio program to advance their political campaigns in the face of real opposition. Read More→

YCC Community Outreach Coordinator circulates nominating petitions for Governing Board candidate Harrington

Official records have disclosed that newly appointed Yavapai Community College Outreach Coordinator, Linda Buchanan, was hard at work on August 4, 2014 obtaining signatures on nonpartisan nominating petitions for Second District Governing Board candidate Harold Harrington. Those close to the Community College believe that the top administrators fear a change-over on the Governing Board and are doing whatever they can within the law to help out. Harrington had publicly said he would not run as a candidate for the Governing Board if another candidate filed.  However, he quickly changed his political tune when Ms. Deb McCasland filed for his seat on the Governing Board.

Arizona has a law, AZ 15-1408, which appears to prohibit community college employees from influencing the outcome of an election or using community college resources to do so.

No one has suggested that Buchanan violated the Arizona statute by obtaining signatures for Harrington on August 4. In fact, Arizona law allows a Community College employee to do whatever he or she wants to on his or her own time.  However, do you think it was appropriate for a high level Community College employee in a fiercely fought nonpartisan political campaign to become involved by collecting the signatures for Harrington? Do you think that such behavior would affect the future relationship of Buchanan with McCasland if McCasland is elected to the Governing Board?  

You may view the petitions by clicking on the following link. Binder1.

American Heritage Academy Founder and President slings a little political mud during Governing Board meeting

The Founder and President of the Cottonwood based American Heritage Academy, Steve Anderson,  injected a bit of political mud into the Yavapai Community College Governing Board meeting on October 15.  Anderson, a strong supporter of Harold Harrington for the Governing Board position that is up for a vote in November, said he “vehemently” disagreed with the effort to create an Administrative College on the East side of the County.

He also said that he was “disappointed” with people from the “East” that “don’t have the guts” to remain on the Governing Board, an allusion no doubt to Bob Oliphant. He also said he was frustrated with “ex employees who come in and gripe and groan but don’t have to a lot to add, “ a poorly  disguised allusion to Ms. Deb McCasland, Harrington’s opponent.

He went on to say he hoped the Board doesn’t “spend millions of dollars” creating a new campus on the Verde side. He was obviously unaware of the recent study by the College showing the low cost of establishing an Administrative College on the East side of the County. 

He also credited his uncle, the late Senator Boyd Tenney, as looking at County “resources” and “taxes” and deciding Prescott was where the main campus should be located.  Tenney has the library on the Prescott campus named in his honor.

Anderson and the Harrington family no doubt have a close relationship.  One of Harrington’s daughter’s  recently graduated from American Heritage Academy  and received a scholarship from Yavapai Community College.

The short speech to the Board by Mr. Anderson can be seen by clicking here.

McCasland says she won’t be a “rubber stamp for the administration” in Prescott

Second District Yavapai Community College Governing Board candidates Deb McCasland and Harold Harrington squared off in a Q & A session with reporter Raquel Hendrickson of the Bugle and Verde Independent.  Her extensive interview with the candidates appears in the Verde Independent and can be accessed by clicking here.  

McCasland says “there are legitimate educational needs in the Verde Valley that are going unfunded or eliminated.”  She also says she “will not be a rubber stamp for the [Prescott dominated community college] administration.”

Harrington told the reporter  that “there is only one Community College allowed per district.” While this statement is true, he did not reveal or clarify how a separate administrative college, like those in Maricopa County, could be set up in Yavapai County–at least in the story as it was reported.  Nor did he set out the arguments that many in the East Side of County believe support creating such a community college structure. 

Is the College using County survey to mask administrators’ political support of existing Board members and provide the members with a platform to reach voters?

Community College employees are not supposed to use the College or its resources to influence the outcome of a political election. However, some folks in the County are beginning to ask whether the College is using a recent survey as a smokescreen to obtain voter support for the only two current Board candidates fighting for their seats. One example they point to is a radio program on September 30 on KYCA in Prescott.   

 That radio program was hosted by Yavapai Community College President Penelope Wills. During the second segment, which lasted about 15 minutes, her guests were Mr. Harold Harrington and Mr. Dale Fitzner and the topic the County-wide survey.

 Some thought the selection of these two by Wills’ and the survey topic was an obscuration of the real purpose, which they suspected may have been to help them win their election.

Mr. Harrington is in a tough race for the second district College Governing Board seat against Ms. Deb McCasland. Mr. Fitzner is in a race with Mr. Steve Irwin who is seeking Fitzner’s seat on the Board as the Fifth District representative.

During the program Wills’ gushed over the existing Board that includes Harrington and Fitzner. Among statements made by Wills during the program were these: “We have a fantastic District Governing Board.” “I couldn’t ask for a better board.” “[W]hat a good job they are doing.” Could you ask for a better endorsement as a politician running for election to the Board than received fromWills’ during the program?   Click here to hear the full radio program.

Arizona has a law, AZ 15-1408, which appears to prohibit community college employees from influencing the outcome of an election. Click here to look at the Arizona statute.

No one has suggested that Wills’ violated the Arizona statute by having only Harrington and Fitzner as her guests on the radio program. However, was it appropriate for her as College president who is to remain completely neutral in the political race to invite them when three other non-controversial Board members were available?  What do you think?

Prescott Daily Courier queries Governing Board candidates

Mr. Dale Fitzner, Ms. Deb McCasland, Mr. Herald Harrington and Mr. Steve Irwin are running for open Yavapai Community College (YCC) Governing Board seats for District 2 and District 5 during this year’s Tuesday, November 4 general election. They were questioned by Prescott Daily Courier reporter Patrick Whitehurst about their strengths and priorities in an article published Sunday, September 28 in that newspaper.

Mr. Fitzner said he was qualified because he is a “long time resident of Prescott Valley” and was proud of the YCC facilities in Prescott Valley. Mr. Harrington said he was a member of the Board for 15 years and has a “good understanding how the College needs to serve the communities of Yavapai County.” Mr. Irwin said he brought “my life experience to an organization that has a tremendous economic and social impact on Yavapai County residents. As a Board member, I will ensure fiscal accountability and reasonable growth that is best for the college and Yavapai County.”

Ms. McCasland said that her “extensive history with YC makes me unique among all the candidates. I have a Masters Degree in Community College Education and know the important role community colleges perform in the education of our students. I will not be a rubber stamp for the current YC administration. I know how to read the budgets, look between the lines and ask questions.”

For the complete interview by Daily Courier reporter Mr. Whitehurst, please click here.