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CCC tax reset update: Promises made, promises kept

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One year after Coconino County voters approved a primary property tax levy increase for CCC, the college has instituted several new programs and initiatives. Courtesy photo.

FLAGSTAFF — Promises made, promises kept by your community college.

One year after the passage of a primary property tax reset for Coconino Community College, CCC has made significant progress in following through on commitments made to the voters of Coconino County. Of the several programs and initiatives promised by the increase in the primary property tax rate to Coconino Community College, many of them have already been implemented or are in process.
“To date, we’ve fulfilled nearly 75 percent of the items we noted on the ballot initiative,” said CCC President Eric Heiser, Ph.D. “And guess what? We’re not done yet. We have many new and exciting career and technical education programs and courses in the pipelines.”
Among the programs that are up and running are:
  • High Country Training Academy (law enforcement academy)
  • Commercial Driver License (truck driving)
  • Early Childhood Education Certificate (preschool teachers)
  • Assisted Living Caregiver Certificate
  • Google IT Support Professional Certificate
  • Amazon Web Services Certificate
  • Increased number of students in the Nursing program
  • Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
  • Paramedic
  • Expansion of scholarship programs, including free summer tuition to graduating Coconino County high school seniors, free Summer Bridge scholarships for CCC’s Strengthening Indigenous Student Success program, and the first year of the college’s “Comet Promise” program, which helps financial-aid eligible students offset any costs not covered by their financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education.
Among the programs that are in progress are:
  • Cybersecurity Associate of Applied Science
  • Welding Certification
  • Manufacturing Technology
CCC may also add programs that are requested by employers and communities as appropriate. As programs are established and supported, funding will be used to support establishing further programs communities find important for the training and educational needs of their residents.
Dr. Heiser said, “We know that our voters showed confidence in us by agreeing to increase their taxes, and we hope the progress we’ve made in just over a year’s time shows just how serious we are about providing an educated workforce for Coconino County. Thanks again to all our supporters. It’s because of you that we’re able to help students Start Small and Go Big.”
On May 17, 2022, during a special election, voters approved a request by CCC to increase the primary property tax levy to support the college. The election saw 20,947 ballots cast, which was about 23 percent of the registered voters in Coconino County. About 64 percent voted in favor of the tax reset for the college.
According to the legislation that allowed CCC to move forward with the tax-reset election, championed by former State Sen. Sylvia Allen, CCC began receiving a percentage of the approved funds on July 1, 2022, and will receive the full $6 million additional funding annually beginning on the third year. Voters will also experience the same phased-in CCC tax schedule.
For more information about Coconino Community College, visit www.coconino.edu.
About Coconino Community College
CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County since 1991. The College has the goal of improving the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education.
CCC provides affordable tuition and offers certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in academic and career fields. CCC also has programs that ease student transition to any of the three state universities.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County and Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Zoom video conferencing classes to meet the needs of students in rural and remote areas. On average, one in five of CCC’s students are Native American learners.
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