Published: August 28, 2008 01:35 am            

TVCC board adopts budget

Tax rate for local residents to stay the same

ATHENS — Trinity Valley Community College’s board of trustees unanimously passed a $31.4 million budget Monday night in order to finance operations during the next fiscal year – which begins Sept. 1.

That budget is up from the current fiscal year’s budget of $29.8 million.

The increase of $1.6 million will go largely to offset increasing operating costs as well as provide a pay raise for all employees.

“I think it’s a great budget,” TVCC President Glendon Forgey said. “The budget increase is about five percent over last year, which is good level of growth.

“Significant deviations are not conducive to a good budget planning process,” Forgey added. “A steady growth rate between four and six percent a year allows the college to maintain faculty and staff salaries as well as make facility improvements.”

The pay raise varied from employee to employee, said Forgey, but everyone on the TVCC staff got at least a four percent raise.

“We tried to narrow the gap between our salaries here and what is paid by other community colleges,” said Forgey.

In some areas, such as librarians and information technology, the college was behind the state curve on salaries.

In addition, the college is adding several new positions during the next fiscal year. Those positions include:

• One speech instructor at TVCC-Athens;

• One speech instructor at TVCC-Terrell;

• One social science instructor at TVCC-Palestine;

• One Spanish instructor at TVCC-Athens;

• One art instructor at TVCC-Athens;

• One athletic trainer at TVCC-Athens;

• One assistant in the human resources department, which serves all campuses; and,

• Four new positions in the information technology department, which serves all campuses.

In addition, the college also re-established the positions of assistant Cardette director and assistant director for the Cardinal Regiment band.

The college has made several facility and technological improvements this year, and Forgey said the new budget will help the college continue in that vein.

“We increased the equipment budget in order to keep investing in technology and to give the faculty the tools they need to give students the quality education they deserve and expect at TVCC,” Forgey said. “Those tools help us achieve success in the classroom.”

Before approving the budget Monday, the board held a public hearing regarding the measure and a first public hearing regarding the proposed tax rate to support that budget.

The board has proposed a tax rate of 6.8 cents per $100 valuation for most of the college’s service area. That is the same tax rate the college had last year.

Forgey said the funds for the $1.6 million increase in the budget will not be primarily generated by property taxes.

Much of the funding, said Forgey, will come from an increase in general fees. Earlier this year, the board approved a $5 per semester hour increase in fees.

Also, said Forgey, TVCC is experiencing an increase in enrollment, which affects the resources the college has available to fund its operations.

The average taxable value of a home in the Trinity Valley Community College district this year is $100,094. If the board adopts the proposed tax rate of $.068 per $100 of taxable value, the amount of taxes imposed this year on the average home would be $68.06.

Also included in Monday’s public hearing on the tax rate was the proposed rate for those taxpayers who live in Palestine Independent School District. Those taxpayers pay a different tax rate than the rest of the taxpayers in the college’s taxing district.

The college is proposing a tax rate of 4.4 cents per $100 valuation for PISD only, again the same tax rate as the current year.

The average taxable value of a residence homestead in PISD this year is $76,187. If the board adopts the proposed tax rate, the amount of taxes imposed this year on the average home would be $33.52.

The board will conduct a second public hearing regarding the tax rates for the coming year at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Orval Pirtle Administration Building on the Athens campus. The board will vote on approving the tax rates Sept. 22.

        

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