Meant to post this yesterday. Got busy and forgot. Cowley board passed its budget with a small DEcrease in its mil levy. This means slightly lower taxes for property owners. Probably only a few dollars, but at least its something.
Board approves 2010-2011 budget that includes fewer tax dollars
Cowley’s Board of Trustees delivered some good news to local taxpayers Monday night at its regular monthly meeting.
The Board unanimously approved the 2010-2011 budget for the college that is seeking fewer tax dollars than the previous year. Therefore, the projected mill levy of 19.998 is down from the 2009-2010 levy of 20.226. The final mill levy won’t be set until the final valuation for Cowley County is calculated.
“I am tickled with us being able to lower the mill levy,” Board of Trustees Chairman Albert Bacastow, Jr. said.
The college’s budget approved Monday night is based on in-state enrollments of 73,900 credit hours, a state operating grant of $6,488,117, and a county valuation of $211,418,414, which is a little more than $2 million less than last year.
The college’s total budget for 2010-2011 is $29,484,374 million. It is seeking $4,227,987 in tax support. The college sought $4,257,072 in tax support in 2008-2009, and $4,275,040 in 2009-2010.
Also, during the meeting, Slade Griffiths, vice president of academic affairs, provided the Board with an outreach update. Griffiths informed the Board that the college’s Mulvane Center and online enrollment is higher than it has ever been.
Cowley College president, Dr. Patrick J. McAtee, also stated that enrollment at the school’s main campus in Arkansas City is the highest it has been in five years.
“Everyone has done an outstanding job,” McAtee said.
As of Aug. 9, total enrollment at Cowley College’s Centers is up 440 FTE (2,871 to 2,431) from this time last year.
“Enrollment is off the charts,” Sue Saia, vice president of student affairs said. “I want to recognize Ben Schears, the work he has done in the Admissions Department has been unbelievable.”
In other matters, the Board:
1. Held a 15 minute executive session to discuss property acquisition, non-elected personnel, professional negotiations, and consult with legal counsel.
2. Approved the July Board minutes.
3. Approved the Bills and Claims.
4. Discussed the KACCT/COP annual meeting, which will be held Sept. 9-10 at Hutchinson Community College. Dr. Patrick J. McAtee, Mark Paton, and Donna Avery have indicated they will attend the meeting.
5. Ron Godsey indicated he will represent the college at the 41st annual Community College Leadership Congress held Oct. 20-23 in Toronto, Canada.
6. Approved the 2010-2011 Health/Dental increase coverage. The health rates represent a decrease of approximately 4.6%. There are no changes to the dental plan. The rates represent an approximate increase of $4 and $6 per month, respectively. Both health and dental coverage will continue to be provided by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas.
“The net effect is that employees will see a decrease in the cost of their health insurance and we are excited about that,” Tony Crouch, executive vice president of business services said.
7. Viewed a summer enrollment report that indicates as of Aug. 4, full-time equivalency was 732, which is up from 631 at this time last year. The fall enrollment report indicates as of Aug. 4, full-time equivalency was 2,740, which is up from 2,326 at this time last year.
8. Accepted a letter of resignation from Scott Camien as resident hall director/assistant baseball coach, effective Aug. 2.
9. Approved the employment of Courtney Gougler as dorm manager/assistant track coach, effective July 1; approved the employment of Brock Buckingham as dorm manager/assistant baseball coach, effective July 28; approved the employment of Phillip Tucker as dorm manager/assistant athletic trainer, effective Aug. 3.
10. Reviewed a letter from Cowley College student Andrew Howland thanking admissions secretary, Terri Hutchinson, with helping him find what he was looking for in a technical associates degree. Dr. McAtee praised the work done by Hutchinson in the admissions office.
“She is a consummate professional and a great employee,” McAtee said.
11. Heard from Tom V. Saia, athletic director, on another successful Tiger Skins/Brian Groves Memorial Golf Tournament, held Saturday at the Arkansas City Country Club.
12. Slade Griffiths informed the Board of the first Critical Care Paramedic class for Kansas, which was held in the Brown Center June 7-18 with 33 students from all over the United States. Two students were from Alaska, while another student was from Jordan. The program will be provided every two years.
I have a question, maybe a dumb one, but...here goes. How can the college increase my taxes without me having anything to say about it? Or...do I have anything to say? How does this process work? Ok, ok....don't laugh. I'm being serious here.
ReplyDeleteActually the college decreased your taxes without you having any input.
ReplyDeleteBut, it is a good question. We never have a voice in whether taxes go up or down specifically. we elect officials and then they do what they do with taxes.
our say comes when we reelect them or not.
Members of the Cowley College board are elected.
One way to have a say in that anyway, is to attend meetings, especially when budgets are being discussed. Request copies - if they give you grief, make a written request and send it to the attorney general as well as to them - I think they have 14 or 7 days to respond to a written request. If they do not respond, you send another letter to the attorney general.
But usually there is a public hearing on the budget.
When I was in south carolina the county commission raised taxes and eight of nine commissioners were booted out of office the next election. Thats where we have our say.
does that help?
don't look now but it really didn't make any difference as the 470 board just raised the taxes so we lost again. are we really getting our moneys worth for what we pay o schools in taxes. i could see teacher raises etc. but a multimillion dollar sports complex when most people i know are having a hard tome just paying their bills? d
ReplyDeleteThe sports complex was voted on before the recession was in full swing. If it were voted on today, there's no way in hell it gets passed. Teachers should ride this recession out like the rest of us. I don't know about anyone else, but I haven't seena raise since this mess started. I would think they could have operated with the same buget as last year instead of raising our taxes in the middle of a recession to give raises to teachers.
ReplyDelete@9:21 jj. very helpful, thx.
ReplyDeleteanyone know mr. ballard's salary? bet it's a lot more than any teacher. d
ReplyDeleteI've said that for years. I'm sure it gives the teachers a bad taste in their mouths. They are the ones in the trenches, messing with unruly kids.
ReplyDeleteYou know, the State of KS says we don't have enough $$ for education funding. What if we cut some of the fat cat administrative salaries statewide? It's a start.
The Bush tax plan v. The Obama tax plan all in one chart. See if you can tell which one the rich prefer
ReplyDeletehttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/the_bush_tax_plan_vs_the_obama.html
Obama promising not to raise taxes on anyone making less than 250k a year:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8erePM8V5U
7 lies in less than 2 minutes in one speech.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UErR7i2onW0&feature=related