County and School Officials Unveil Key Updates at VOC Meeting

Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor Nikki Check, along with Sedona-Oak Creek School District Superintendent Dr. Tom Swaninger and representatives from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, participated in the Big Park Regional Coordinating Council’s monthly meeting on February 13.

Check announced her attendance at the upcoming community meeting scheduled for February 19 at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene. The focus of this meeting will be Arizona Public Service’s McGuireville to Oak Creek 69kV power line project, which is set to traverse the Village of Oak Creek. The details of this meeting were discussed after press time.

On January 16, the Coconino National Forest released a final environmental assessment and draft decision for the 13.7-mile power line, initiating a 45-day objection period. Interested parties can find project documents and objection filing instructions at fs.usda.gov/project/coconino/?project=56977.

In addition, Check confirmed that District 2 Supervisor James Gregory’s final meeting will occur on February 19. She expressed hope that the Board of Supervisors would appoint a successor by April. Gregory represents several areas, including Camp Verde and Mayer.

Check also conveyed her enthusiasm regarding a pending property tax refund for Aletheia Church in Sedona, amounting to $40,850.30. This tax-exempt organization, which acquired a property in 2020, was initially unaware of the requirement to file an affidavit with the county assessor to gain tax-exempt status.

Aletheia learned of this requirement in 2022 and established its tax-exempt status during that year. It was discovered that property taxes had accrued for 2020 and 2021. Following notification of the owed amounts, Aletheia paid the taxes and is now seeking reimbursement as a tax-exempt religious organization.

Regarding the sale of the former Big Park Community School, Dr. Swaninger indicated that the school district plans to hold at least one informational session as bids come in. This will allow community members to inquire about the specifics of the bids as they materialize. The district has issued a request for proposals for an appraiser, set to expire on February 21. Following this, a request for proposals for a real estate broker will be discussed at a future board meeting.

Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Dan Pritchard reported stable statistics since January 1, noting 202 calls for service, which included 54 traffic stops, making up 27% of total incidents.