Verde Valley residents were surprised to recently learn that Jerome residents would be allowed to get COVID-19 vaccines regardless of their age.
In a letter from Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor Donna Michaels on March 4 to the mayor of Jerome Michaels appeared to unilaterally waive state and federal guidelines for vaccines.
The letter was rescinded and declared void on March 5 by Yavapai County District 4 Supervisor and Board of Supervisors Chairman Craig L. Brown.
Michaels has since apologized for sending out the false information. Despite Brown’s correction, Michaels’ erroneous letter is still being shared around the Verde Valley.
Vaccine Rollout
Per Arizona Department of Health Services guidelines, a three-phase plan was approved in December for the rollout of vaccines.
The phases are broken into subcategories, with medical professionals and front-line health care workers at the top of list, followed by seniors over age 75, those over age 65, seniors with serious medical conditions, teachers and essential workers, then followed by those over age 55, adults in congregate settings and adults with serious medical conditions. The general population, least at risk of getting ill or being hospitalized, are in Phase 3, and likely won’t be vaccinated until April at the earliest or May.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ADHS guidelines do not grant county-level officials authority to waive guidelines. As counties administer the vaccines, county health departments and the ADHS jointly decide when to expand eligibility.
Letter from Michaels
In a letter circulated around the Verde Valley since it was issued March 4, Michaels informed the mayor of Jerome, Jack Dillenberg, that she was authorizing eligibility to all residents in the town regardless of age.
“Dear Mayor Dillenberg,” Michaels wrote, “In my role as the Board Supervisor in Yavapai County for District 3, I am authorizing the administration of COVID vaccinations for all age groups in the Town of Jerome.“Ms. April Rhodes, CEO of Spectrum Healthcare, is on standby to take their mobile unit to Jerome as soon as the opportunity is solidified.
“Please know you have my full support to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to receive the vaccination for their personal health, and the health of their families.”
Despite being named in the letter as assisting with vaccinations in Jerome, April Rhodes, CEO of Spectrum Healthcare, the medical agency administering most of the COVID-19 vaccinations in the Verde Valley, said she was unaware of the letter until after it had been sent by Michaels.
“At no time were there discussions regarding the citizens of Jerome receiving special treatment. Not any other town or city within Yavapai County,” Rhodes said. “There are ongoing discussions with all board members regarding vaccination of vulnerable and eligible adults in all areas that are experiencing difficulty accessing the vaccination stations.”
Rhodes also checked with Yavapai County Community Health Services Director Leslie Horton.
“Upon receipt of Donna Michaels’ letter, which I was not aware of beforehand, I forwarded it to the director of the health department for guidance. Director Horton advised Spectrum that the letter’s directive was not within the vaccination strategy at this time and not to fulfill the request,” Rhodes said.
“I later received written communication from Chairman Brown rescinding Supervisor Michael’s instructions,” she added.
Craig Brown: Michaels’ letter is “Void and of No Effect”
On March 5, Brown sent a letter to Dillenberg, informing him that Jerome residents had not been granted special access and that Michaels had no authority to unilaterally grant such access.
“On March 4, 2021, Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor Donna Michaels sent you a letter ostensibly authorizing COVID-19 vaccines for all age groups within the Town of Jerome,” Brown wrote. “Supervisor Michaels does not have the statutory authority to authorize this action. Further, this action is contrary to federal and state COVID-19 guidelines that govern the vaccination effort. This letter is to inform you that the directive from Supervisor Michaels is void and of no effect.”
Brown notes that fairness is the goal of the rollout.
“Be assured that the Board of Supervisors understands the desire of the citizens of Yavapai County, including the citizens of the Town of Jerome, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” he wrote. “The Board of Supervisors must, however, ensure a fair and orderly distribution of the vaccine to all citizens of Yavapai County.”
Brown directed the Yavapai County health department to follow federal and state COVID-19 vaccination guidelines.
Rhodes echoed this statement.
“Spectrum works under the guidance of the local health department and in accordance with requirements set forth by [Arizona] Department of Health Services to provide access to the COVID- 19 vaccine in our communities. Instructions come directly from the health department and not from individual county supervisors,” Rhodes said.
Michaels Apologizes
“Your questions focus on a situation I can only term as an unfortunate mistake: Based on information my office received from the Mayor of Jerome, long-time public health professional Dr. Jack Dillenberg, we believed it would be possible to immediately provide COVID- 19 vaccinations to all the residents of Jerome,” Michaels stated via email March 9.
“While I initially thought we could move swiftly to vaccinate residents of all ages under a special hardship exemption, I soon learned that such an action would require the approval of the full Board of Supervisors,” Michaels stated. “Upon learning that, I immediately called Mayor Dillenberg and verbally withdrew my letter of authorization. Chair Brown also sent a clarifying communication to all the relevant parties.”
Michaels also apologized.
“It’s my hope that the residents of Jerome, District 3 and the county will accept my apology for any confusion this might have caused,” she stated. “Keeping residents safe from COVID-19 more than a year into this awful pandemic is one of my top priorities. In an effort to make sure we get vaccines to Jerome residents in need, I intend to work with the mayor, our county health department and Spectrum Healthcare to implement a mobile vaccination rollout for qualifying place-bound citizens as age-restrictions are lifted.”
In regards to the letter circulating in the Verde Valley and sent to Larson Newspapers from various readers, Candra Faulkner, personal assistant to Donna Michaels, wrote “Per Donna, FYI — the information was never released to the community, as far as I know. Therefore, they will not be aware of this matter until you tell them.”
When asked to clarify, Faulkner purportedly wrote on Michaels’ behalf, “Per Donna, Mr. Graham, No, I would never presume to direct what you should or should not write about.”
Jerome Mayor Dillenberg Apologizes
Michaels also forwarded a March 8 email from Dillenberg, a doctor of dental surgery, that read, “I was so impressed with the work that Spectrum [Healthcare] and their volunteers are doing in Cottonwood that I wanted them to come up to Jerome to administer the shots.”
“I heard about Gila County — particularly Globe — allowing citizens under 55 to get vaccinated with their county supervisors’ approval. I believed, incorrectly, that a single supervisor could authorize the change. So I reached out to our District Supervisor, Donna Michaels.”
Gila County has a population of 53,000, one-fifth the 235,000 population of Yavapai County and fewer still than the approximately 70,000 people in the Verde Valley.
Gila County Deputy Director of Public Health Josh Beck said that his county already inoculated both seniors over age 65 and adults over 55, so had opened up all ages for vaccinations on March 1, the first county to do so.
However, the decision was made by the Gila County Health & Emergency Management Department’s COVID-19 Response Team in concert with the Arizona Department of Health Services, not by any vote nor order by the Gila County Board of Supervisors.
“I did not realize my mistake until I received a letter from Craig Brown, Chairman of the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, that I was mistaken in my request,” Dillenberg stated. “My sincere apology.”
Inaccurate Statement Posted Online
On Friday, March 12, Michaels posted a statement on her personal website about this issue that contained numerous errors. She claimed the request came from Dillenberg on March 8. However, Michaels sent her letter to Jerome on March 4. Brown sent his letter on March 5. Larson Newspapers filed its media inquiry with Michaels’ office on March 7.
Michaels also claims, “I soon learned such an action would require the approval of the full Board of Supervisors. Immediately, I withdrew my letter of authorization and sent a clarifying communication to all relevant parties.”
She provided no such letter and this statement appears to contradict her email on March 9 about Brown’s letter voiding hers (see above).
She does not mention Brown’s letter at all in her March 12 statement.
Michaels’ letter was shared by Jerome residents, hence Larson Newspapers’ media inquiry, yet Michaels stated “It’s my understanding that no one from the District 3 office, Mayor Dillenberg’s office or the Town of Jerome released any information about this exemption to Jerome residents … Even so, I have gotten a media inquiry about this situation.”
Larson Newspapers is waiting on a public records request from Michaels’ office regarding this correspondence pursuant to Arizona’s open records laws.
Michaels’ assistant Sally Jackson unlawfully withholds public records
Michaels’ Executive Assistant, Sally Jackson, a resident of Prescott and employed by Yavapai County, improperly redacted numerous lawful public records in response to a public records request. Jackson stated “some information was redacted from the original disclosure due to administrative oversight.”
When asked to provide unredacted versions of these records for lawful and legal newsgathering purposes, Jackson refused, falsely claiming “Everything subject to disclosure has been disclosed.”
One document in particular, FW Covid Vaccine-3-5-2021-1019A.pdf, questions vaccine eligibility in Yavapai County compared to other counties and pressures Michaels to act.
“To clarify, the email you are referring to, “FW Covid Vaccine-3-5-2021-1019A.pdf,” was redacted by me.” Jackson redacted the sender’s name and address, despite lacking any legal authority to withhold this information under Arizona Revised Statute §39-121. Names and addresses can only be redacted under Arizona’s open records laws if the subject therein was a witness to or victim of a crime, is a law enforcement officer or by a judge’s court order.
The email in question was sent to Michaels the same day Michaels issued her directive to Jerome. It is unclear what, if any influence, that particular record may have had on the decision to issue the directive to Jerome.
When asked if the individual who sent the email “Is he or she a campaign donor?” Executive Assistant Sally Jackson refused to answer.
When asked if the individual who sent “How much did this person give to Michael’s campaign?” Executive Assistant Sally Jackson refused to answer.
