Photo: Prescott Valley Mayor Kell Palguta (Facebook)
Social media’s impact has benefits and drawbacks, of course. We connect with more people, we share more information and we access more information but if it is done in an extreme form it can contribute to mental health issues, anxiety, depression and cyber bullying.
There is no greater example of these pitfalls than in Prescott Valley, Arizona where postings of personal and political attacks are causing tit- for-tat, “I got you, no I got you worse” nastiness on a hourly basis.
The king of social media extremes in Prescott Valley appears to be none other than the Mayor of Prescott Valley, Kell Palguta. Until recently when rumors say one of his Facebook pages was closed down, the mayor was making regular attacks via Facebook and NextDoor (ND). But one of his postings that we will examine here, is particularly troubling,
A Prescott Valley resident’s social media post about her sudden job loss has sparked controversy after Mayor Kell Palguta inserted himself into the conversation, prompting concerns about professionalism and potential conflicts of interest, said one social media post defending the woman.
On Friday, August 1st, Prescott Valley resident Randi D. shared her frustration online following her abrupt dismissal from a local restaurant. In her post, she noted that she had no prior disciplinary record, no write-ups, and had consistently maintained a strong work ethic. According to her, the termination came despite a lack of training, leadership, or accountability from upper management. Her stated hope was that ownership would begin to evaluate its managerial staff more closely.
However, the conversation quickly escalated when Mayor Palguta publicly commented on the post. In a series of replies, he described Randi’s statements as “sad, pathetic, and unprofessional,” and claimed that the establishment’s management and ownership were in agreement that she had not met customer service expectations. He went further, stating, “Please take responsibility and stop blaming others and acting like a victim. You sound like Hillary Clinton.”
Palguta also accused Randi of alcohol-related misconduct while on the job, labeling her an “alcoholic” and suggesting she had been warned about her behavior. These claims were made despite Palguta not being employed by the establishment in question, The Fat Frog, nor being present for any employment-related discussions.
It was later revealed that the mayor’s wife is a manager at the restaurant, raising questions about the appropriateness of his involvement in personnel matters and his access to information surrounding the termination.
A post by Amy Clark on NextDoor, reacting to Mayor Palguta’s post
Critics argue that Mayor Palguta’s conduct on social media was unbecoming of an elected official, and that his comments crossed a line, particularly given his role in the community and apparent personal connection to the case.
As the situation unfolds, some residents are now questioning whether Palguta’s behavior aligns with the standards expected of public leadership—and whether it’s time to reevaluate the type of representation Prescott Valley deserves.
17 thoughts on “Mayor of Prescott Valley gets criticism for social media posts – Bill Williams”
Thanks Bill and thank Prescott E News for posting these comments.This is not the first of smears of PV citizens as Mayor Palguta has made derogatory comments about “old people” and if they did not like the way PV was run; well; that could just move.
We must find a good, strong candidate to replace Kell Palguta next year. His title is not one he should have. He is more than just an embarrassment; he is a threat to Prescott Valley’s very future.
Spot On !
Palguta needs to be let go immediately,I think he opened his sorry self up to a slandering lawsuit by this young lady and she should lawyer up and file it! Palguta is a loud mouth and a cheat in many many ways,he cannot continue to represent PV in any way shape or form,also I think an individual audit needs to be done concerning his use of taxpayer funds! Get rid of him now!
Meanwhile, the quality of life in Prescott Valley continues to degrade.
since the mayor sold his home earlier this year, does anyone know if he has purchased another place here? possibly going to texas, seeing as how more people are getting sick of his attitude?
oh! i guess attainable housing for first responders means an $895,000 home on a $90,000 a year cops salary- as that is the buyer of said home. congrats!
What a bozo, the mayor.
Seems to suffer from little man syndrome of the keyboard warrior type.
Makes me question my consideration of PV as my new home.
The mayor with the gigantic ego just called me.
He initially suggested he would like to chat, regarding my comments suggesting he is the wrong leader for PV. In mere moments, he turned to name calling and suggesting my opinion was not worthy of his time.
I support the residents of PV in ridding yourselves of this tyrant.
It’s a well known fact that Kel Palguta retired from the Prescott Valley Police Department with a “medical retirement”. Turns out the medical diagnosis that allowed Palguta to retire with compensation, is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. When reviewing the symptoms of PTSD online we learn that the symptoms range from emotional outbursts, dire thoughts, confused thinking, among others. So with this information about his diagnosis, I am not surprised that Mr. Palguta suffers these outbursts of defamatory comments. He does this frequently, shaming citizens who speak at the Call to Public sessions of Town Counsel as in “seeking their 3 minutes of fame” and that most of the people criticizing his plans will be dead before the plans are enacted. This only displays the selfish, immature behavior of a man with serious emotional issues. I question why any voter would approve of this behavior and allow this person to make decisions on personnel and budget issues that affect the thousands of citizens of the Town of Prescott Valley.
Don’t give him the excuse of PTSD for his boorish, immature behavior. This guy is one of the worst humans in PV. And he is NO conservative! He’s a foolish little man & former tough-guy cop who was demoted for his poor performance. He got really lucky if you’d go back & research the bum!
More proof that Non-Partisan offices in our local governments are a farce.
EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL! Not only from him but his wife as well! That’s privileged information between the Fat Frog and the employee….. Both Mr. & Mrs. Palguta should lose their jobs stat!!
An employees information is strictly confidential between corporate and employee!
If I was that employee I would sue the Fat Frog for defamation of character.
His behavior has been inappropriate for 3-4 years on ND! It’s about time his actions get called out! He deserves to be fired and run out of the area!
Palguta has been doing this for years. I have never understood why PValley continues to support and elect him. He has a sick sense of humor he displays in his annual untrue April Fool’s “jokes” he posts on Facebook.
He needs to be given the boot.
the palgutas and byron and cindy agee formed happy hog ventures, llc on aug 8, 2025, and happy hog ventures owns the fat frog.
the palgutas bought a quaint 5bd 5 bath over 5000 square foot spread that costs just under $1.5 MILLION.
makes me wonder…but our pd salaries are 84% higher than usa avg, and 112% higher than usa median salary, so i guess with that kind of pay, it makes it easier to live high on them hogs! (govsalaries.com)
the palgutas and byron and cindy agee formed happy hog ventures, llc on aug 8, 2025, and happy hog ventures owns the fat frog.
the palgutas bought a quaint 5bd 5 bath over 5000 square foot spread that costs just under $1.5 MILLION.
makes me wonder… our pd salaries are 84% higher than usa avg, and 112% higher than usa median salary, so i guess with that kind of pay, it makes it easier to live high on them hogs! (govsalaries.com)
Vote him out!
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