NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter has received the resignation of Mr. Steve Irwin from the Yavapai College Governing Board, so he can concentrate on his run for Yavapai County Supervisor. The resignation is effective beginning April 1, 2020. We appreciate Mr. Irwin’s service to Yavapai College and the community.
Normally in this case, Superintendent Carter would post the position and go through an appointment process using a committee of citizens from District #5, to complete his term through December 31, 2020. The District 5 voters, in the 2020 election cycle would then elect a person to serve a new term starting January 1, 2021.
The Yavapai College Governing Board met on February 11, 2020 and considered the attached resolution, voting 3-1-1 to ask that the position be “held vacant” and allow the voters to fill the seat as a result of the normal 2020 election cycle. The Yavapai College Governing Board did discuss the major drawback to this approach, that which increases the likelihood of the Board being deadlocked with a 2-2 vote on some issues.
As has been the tradition for decades, the County School Superintendent would “hold vacant” any position for which the appointment process had not started, if the resignation occurred after the first date on which candidates may pull a packet and begin the process of running for the seat. That date this year is March 16, 2020.
As a result, Superintendent Carter has no valid reason not to support the resolution offered by the Yavapai College Governing Board, and hereby approves their request. Pursuant to ARS 15-1441(E), Superintendent Carter will then appoint the person who prevails in the 2020 election cycle to serve the remainder of the unexpired term through December 31, 2020 for Mr. Irwin’s vacancy, and that person shall then also serve the term starting January 1, 2021 for which that person was elected.