Campaign to Recall 2 PCC Board Members Fails

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A recall effort against long-time Pima Community College board members Scott Stewart and Marty Cortez ended without enough signatures to force them to run for their seats again this fall.

Citizens for PCC Integrity, which ran the campaign, said it pushed recall because board members are responsible for Pima’s probation.

Pima’s accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission, placed the college on probation in 2013. It cited a number of problems with administration, human resources, and financial oversight.

Cort Chalfant was involved in the recall effort, and said the HLC made it very clear that a change in leadership needs to occur.

“The HLC doesn’t look favorably on the current crop of people leading this college," he said. "So we’ve got a big problem. And unfortunately we weren’t able to expedite a solution yet.”

Chalfant said the recall campaigns failed because the community isn’t aware of the challenges the college is facing as it needs to be.

“It’s just a lot of work to collect enough signatures. Each individual needs to be informed before they sign the petition as opposed to just sure let’s just go sign a petition," he said.

Citizens for PCC Integrity is now focusing on removing board member Brenda Even, whose term is up in November, if she choses to run for reelection.

Stewart’s term expires in 2016, and Cortez’s in 2018.