Story released to Prescott Courier contained quotes from Sigafoos regarding reducing taxes, an issue that Sigafoos is trying to run from because he has voted for all of the tax increases asked by the College while he was a Board member

A story from Yavapai Community College given to the Prescott Courier has raised questions about whether the College administration was once again trying to influence the outcome of the District Governing Board election.  The reason for the suspicion is twofold:  First, normally the College puts out a complete report about a Governing Board meeting that is written by staff and contains no quotations from any Board members.  It normally does not provide information in a story about one issue discussed during a meeting. 

However, the College apparently took the unusual step this time of providing information applauding a decision to use $4 million dollars it received from the failed Prescott Valley/NAU project and the sale of its classrooms at the Prescott Valley City complex to help reduce outstanding bond obligations.

Second, the College not only applauded the Governing Board decision but prominently used quotations only from Ray Sigafoos in it. Sigafoos is being challenged by Wayne Meddaugh for the District One seat on the Board.  Critics immediately saw the possible political implication, which is the College linking Sigafoos by name to a reduction in taxes.  The story comes on the heels of the College back-peddling from its decision to send out alleged politically tainted postcards disguised as a newsletter promoting Sigafoos. 

Sigafoos’ has been under attack in his District because of the fact he has approved a tax rate increase every year it has come before the Board in the last decade. This story, along with a photo, will not doubt help him in his political effort.

It should be noted that Deb McCasland has argued for more than a year that the College should use excess revenue it receives to reduce it outstanding bond obligations.  However, there was no mention of McCasland or any other Board member in the story.

Here is the story that ran in the Courier as it was presented to the Blog (without photo).

Yavapai College Board approves bond payoff, says move saves taxpayers millions
The Yavapai College District Governing Board approved the payoff of general obligation bonds owed by the college, which is says will result in a significant amount of savings for Yavapai County taxpayers.
The board voted unanimously in approval of the bond payoff at its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the school’s Verde Valley campus.
The payoff is possible because of a finalized sale of YC’s Prescott Valley condominium to the town of Prescott Valley. In anticipation of the sale, the college
also has expanded its Center at Panther Path.
“Over the past few years, the college board agreed to consolidate our Prescott Valley facilities at our Panther Path center, adjacent to the high school,” said District Governing Board Chairman Ray Sigafoos. “We believe a larger consolidated facility at this location will create more opportunities for high school students as well as the rest of the community.”
Those sale proceeds can now be used to pay down general obligation bonds debt.
“This will allow the college to reduce property taxes beginning next year, to pay off the general obligation bonds two years early, and to save taxpayers $4.8 million, which is a significant amount of money,“ Sigafoos said.
Information provided by Yavapai College

Sigafoos denies he knew much about the newsletter and said he resents the implication he would authorize political material paid for by taxpayers

Chris Kuknyo, president of the Prescott Citizens Tax Committee, challenged the College and Ray Sigafoos in particular at the October Board meeting, over the College’s aborted effort to mail alleged politically tainted postcards in November to support Board members running for election. He commented that the Board “put us through a  lot of work just to do what is right.”  He argued that “any common man on the street could see what you were planning on sending out was not a newsletter.  It was a District specific incumbent promotion paid for by the taxpayers right before an election.”

Looking at the Board directly, he said:  “Ray, did you not see that?” referring to the promotional material. “Connie, you didn’t say wow, this looks like a promotion for me?”   

He also outlined his efforts to stop the mailing including asking for Deb McCasland’s help, whose request to the College went unanswered.  Then he contacted the County Superintendent of Public Education who Kuknyo said “cringed” but could not help.  He also said that the County Attorney would only speak to a Board member and that County Superior Court judges appeared “scared to take this on.” He concluded his remarks stating that it should not take an intervention by the Attorney General of the state of Arizona to get the College worried about sending out the newsletter (alleged politically tainted postcard).

Ray Sigafoos responded during the Call to the Public indicating he knew little about the alleged politically tainted postcard and resented the implication that he would use taxpayer money to support his campaign.

You may view Mr. Kuknyo’s  speech to the Board below.  You may also view an edited clip of the response from Ray Sigafoos below. His entire response is posted on the District Governing Board website. 

Says he received College concession the day he began legal proceedings; notes Attorney General may be continuing to investigate College use of what appears to many as political material for Governing Board members; asks Board to reconsider wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars

Paul Chevalier

Paul Chevalier explained to the Governing Board at its meeting on the Verde Campus October 8 the reasons he began legal action in Yavapai County Superior Court against the College to prevent it from mailing out what some consider politically tainted campaign material prior to the November election.  On the day he began action in Superior Court, the College agreed in a letter to his lawyer to hold up on the mailing until after the election.

Chevalier also asked the Board to reconsider the whole idea of wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars on the mailing at its next Governing Board meeting.

You may view Mr. Chevalier’s explanation to the Board in the video below.

Wills claims postcards were “informational only” but does not want to be “perceived to influence an election”

Politically tainted postcards created by the  Yavapai Community College marketing department for individual Governing Board members, which the Blog is told are at the printer’s and were being prepared to send out prior to the November election, have been put on hold. This is  according to a letter sent by Yavapai Community College President Penelope Wills dated October 2, 2018.

The Chavalier campaign did not receive actual notice of the decision until late afternoon October 4. Board member candidate Connie Harris gave no indication that such a decision had been made at a debate held at 1 p.m. Thursday, October 4 on the Verde Campus, where the issue of the use of the postcard was raised by Mr. Chevalier. 

The decision by Wills to withhold the mailing until after the election was in response to a request from attorney Joseph Montedonico, representing the Chevalier campaign. He wrote to Wills and the Governing Board September 23, 2018 demanding that they cease and desist from sending out the postcards prior to the election.  

In his letter to Wills, attorney Montedonico questioned the legal and ethical basis for mailing the postcard just prior to the November election.  He suggested, among other things, that the mailing may violate Arizona law regarding the use of public funds to influence the outcome of an election.  

When Governing Board member Deb McCasland learned about the postcard, its content and mailing date, she asked that the Board schedule a special meeting to discuss the legality of the mailing in the context of the upcoming election.  McCasland indicated that she was concerned about the  mailing because it may appear to some voters to be a political postcard supporting the two current members of the Governing Board who are up for election. She sought a full discussion about the issue. She received no response to her request.

On Thursday the Chevalier campaign, after receiving no reply for several days from Wills or the Chair of the Governing Board to attorney Montedonico’s letter, began preparing to bring legal action against the College and the Governing Board in Yavapai Superior Court.  (As noted above, the campaign did not learn of the College decision until late Thursday afternoon.)  However, in view of Wills decision to withhold the mailing until after the election, the legal action now appears moot.

Wills wrote in her letter to Montedonico “that these mailings were only communication with our constituents and in no way implied any election influence. Out of respect to all of our constituents, we would never want to appear, or be perceived to, influence an election. We believe the best plan of action is not to mail the newsletters at this time.”

Over the past several days, the Chevalier and Wayne Meddaugh campaigns reached out to numerous legislators and others for assistance in stopping the politically tainted postcard from being mailed prior to the election. It is not known whether some of the many persons they contacted may have played an influential role in the final decision made by Wills.

It is noted that Wills says nothing in her letter to attorney Montedonico about consulting the Governing Board. The postcards are supposed to be under the control of the Governing Board members. 

If elected, he promises to demand transparency and no longer be a “rubber stamp” for the Administration

Wayne Meddaugh

Wayne Meddaugh, who is running for the District #1 seat on the Yavapai Community College Governing Board against Ray Sigafoos, has received major endorsements from local legislators and County supervisors.  Among those endorsing Mr. Meddaugh are:  State Senator Karen Fann, and both Representatives Noel Campbell and David Stringer.  In addition, he is endorsed by three Yavapai County Supervisors: Tom Thurman, Craig Brown, and Jack Smith.

Mr. Meddaugh was born in Michigan, attended a parochial school, public high school, community college, and graduated from Wayne State University. Following graduation from College, in 1969, he accepted the position as a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service. While with the Secret Service, his unit was assigned to protect five sitting Presidents, candidates for the presidency, and other elected officials. Among other assignments, he supervised the security for Ronald Reagan at the 1980 Republican Convention in Detroit, Michigan.

When not assigned to protection, he investigated financial crimes involving the U.S. Treasury. He was also a member of the Organized Crime Task Force and received numerous awards for investigations against organized crime. After retiring from the Secret Service, he took on  a number of different security positions including working with the Office of Inspector General supervising financial crime investigations. He later worked with the Air Marshals’ Service as a supervisor to assist in its buildup following 9/11. 

After retiring in Prescott in  2004, he volunteered at the college’s performance hall, and became a College legacy donor. He states that he deeply believes in the community college system, especially because it offers so much more than just the opportunity to provide the initial academic background that will allow you to transfer to a four year institution.

Despite ethical and legal issues, College planning to mail postcards for Sigafoos and Harris to all County households prior to the election; Prescott desperate to control the outcome

Commentary

The outcome of the election for the District #3 Verde Valley representative on the College Governing Board will dictate whether millions of Valley taxpayer dollars are returned to the Valley over the next several years to begin serious post-secondary education development. If the current incumbent is successful in her quest for the seat, the Valley taxes will most likely continue to flow unchallenged over Mingus in support of new projects on the west side of the County.

Prescott political interests are acutely aware of the threat to their power the current challenger poses. Consequently, they are hard at work to ensure that Prescott control is maintained, and the current incumbent elected.

The first step in Prescott’s goal of controlling the outcome of the election was to tap the talents of a top fundraiser on the College Foundation to help direct the current District #3 incumbent’s campaign. That fundraiser is a Prescott resident and the Second Vice Chair of the Yavapai Community College Foundation, which is based on the Prescott Campus.  The fundraiser is an executive on the College Foundation Board and sits on the Board with College President Penelope Wills. It is believed that Wills and the incumbent have a very close relationship and there is suspicion that Wills may have played a role in this first step.

Because of the incumbent’s voting and oral participation record while a Board member, most believe she is a sure bet to allow the current rip-off of the Valley to continue. It is noteworthy to recall she was appointed to the position on the Board only 18 months ago despite not living in the Verde Valley for the normal one-year period of time.

The second step to influence the outcome of the election and protect Prescott interests is subtle.  This involves a newsletter in postcard format that Wills is currently planning to print and send to all taxpayers in the Verde Valley just before the November election.  It has been described as “postcards featuring a current board member, their photo and text. It definitely looks like a promo piece for a board member.”

This is a subtle political effort because the content contains two normally innocuous questions. However, in the context of the November election, they offer the incumbent an unchallenged political platform with a photograph and an opportunity to extoll her virtues: real or imagined.  The rhetorical questions the incumbent is answering on the postcard are: “What do you want your constituents to know about you? And “What are the next items you hope to pursue in the new year?”

The newsletter/postcard and response to those questions provides the incumbent with a political platform to boast without challenge.  The same platform is not given to the current challenger. It’s a clever Prescott ploy being played on the Verde Valley, ironically using Verde Valley taxpayer funds.

Wills’ and her chums will no doubt use as cover for sending the newsletter/postcard something like the Board voted to send a newsletter (but the timing issue was never discussed). Or, it must be sent in the fall.

Recall that the College has build an indoor therapy pool for Prescott residents.  It has also built a 1,100 seat dinner theatre with wine bars for the retirees and a seven court professional tennis complex that is used overwhelmingly by retirees and the local tennis association. These are some of the interests the College built using Valley money that Prescott folks are protecting.

This election will decide whether Verde Valley taxpayer money for non-academic and other programs will continue to be splurged on the west side of Mingus Mountain. Or, the College will focus for the first time in 50 years on post-secondary development in the Verde Valley in a meaningful way. 

Wake up Verde Valley.  You are about to be ripped off again.

Bob Oliphant