Jeff Drozd

Jeff Drozd
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, public servant
Title	Mayor of Yucca Valley (2024–2025)
Employer	Town of Yucca Valley
Known for	Mayor of Yucca Valley, California

Jeff Drozd is an American politician and public servant who serves on the Town Council of Yucca Valley, California, a desert community in San Bernardino County located on the northern edge of Joshua Tree National Park. First elected to the council in November 2020 representing District 2, Drozd was unanimously elected by his fellow council members to serve as Mayor of Yucca Valley in December 2024. During his tenure as mayor, Drozd presided over a period that saw the town navigate issues including animal shelter reform, free speech policy debates, and community development planning. His mayoralty concluded in December 2025, when the council selected a new mayor at a ceremony that included a presentation on the "State of the Town."

Career

Election to Town Council (2020)

Jeff Drozd ran for a seat on the Yucca Valley Town Council in the November 2020 general election, competing in the District 2 race. According to early returns reported by The Desert Sun, Drozd was outpacing his challengers as of the day following the election. The same election cycle also saw Robert Lombardo leading in the District 4 contest. Drozd's victory secured him a position on the five-member council governing the incorporated town, which had a population of 21,738 as of the 2020 United States Census.

Yucca Valley operates under a council-manager form of government, in which the town council sets policy and the town manager handles day-to-day administrative operations. The mayor is selected from among the council members on a rotating basis rather than through a separate popular election.

Tenure as Mayor (2024–2025)

In December 2024, the Yucca Valley Town Council unanimously elected Jeff Drozd to serve as Mayor for the upcoming term. At the same meeting, Council Member Merl Abel was appointed to serve as Mayor Pro Tem. The leadership transition also included the appointment of new commissioners to various town advisory bodies, reflecting the council's ongoing efforts to maintain community engagement in local governance.

Drozd's year as mayor was marked by several notable issues and events that drew public attention to local governance in the Morongo Basin community.

Animal Shelter Controversy

One of the most prominent issues during Drozd's tenure as mayor involved sustained public criticism and protests regarding the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter. Beginning in early 2025, residents and animal welfare advocates organized demonstrations calling for changes at the government-operated facility. The protests were directed both at the shelter's operations and at the Town Council, with advocates bringing their concerns to council meetings and other public venues.

The issue persisted through much of 2025. By August, the town had established a formal Yucca Valley Animal Shelter Committee to address the community's concerns. The committee held its first meeting in late August 2025, providing a structured forum for discussing shelter policies, procedures, and potential reforms. The creation of the committee represented an effort by the council under Drozd's leadership to provide a formal channel for public input on the matter.

The animal shelter controversy also intersected with other town governance issues. In November 2025, animal advocates announced plans to protest at the Yucca Valley Film Festival, prompting the town to consider a free speech policy. The consent agenda item regarding the free speech policy was ultimately tabled at the council meeting, indicating the sensitivity of balancing public expression with town event management.

Community Recognition and Events

During Drozd's time as mayor, the town continued its tradition of recognizing community members who contributed to civic life in Yucca Valley. In August 2025, the Town Council meeting opened with the presentation of the Yucca Valley Spirit Award to Chris and Debbie Gubler, a ceremony that lent what local media described as a sense of "levity" to the proceedings.

End of Mayoral Term

Drozd's term as mayor concluded in December 2025. At the transition meeting, the council selected a new mayor in accordance with the town's rotational practice. The event was held in the Yucca Room, which was decorated with festive holiday decorations for the occasion. The meeting included a full Town Council attendance and featured a "State of the Town" presentation summarizing the accomplishments and challenges of the preceding year. Local media noted that the celebration included carrot cake in honor of Mayor Drozd's service.

Continued Council Service

Following the conclusion of his mayoral term, Drozd continued to serve on the Yucca Valley Town Council as a member representing District 2. The Town of Yucca Valley's council-manager system provides for ongoing service by council members beyond their term as mayor, with the mayoral role rotating among the elected members.

Yucca Valley

Jeff Drozd serves as an elected official of Yucca Valley, an incorporated town in San Bernardino County, California. The town is situated in the Mojave Desert at an elevation of roughly 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) above sea level. It lies approximately 20 miles north of Palm Springs and 49 miles east of San Bernardino. Yucca Valley is bordered to the south by Joshua Tree National Park and to the west by the San Bernardino Mountains. The town takes its name from the abundant Mojave yucca plants found in the area.

Yucca Valley was incorporated as a town and is one of several communities in the Morongo Basin region of the high desert. The area is also home to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, a major military installation located nearby. As of the 2020 census, the town's population stood at 21,738, and the community sits within California's 23rd Congressional District.

The town is described by regional media as one of several "unassuming towns" on the northern edge of Joshua Tree National Park, part of a desert landscape that has attracted a growing number of residents, visitors, and artists in recent decades.