A funding failure?
By Larry Meyer - Argus Observer
Sunday, March 25, 2007 12:44 AM PDT
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| LARRY MEYER | Argus Observer
Plans by Treasure Valley Community College officials to construct a new classroom building to, among other things, replace the current aging science labs (above) would be put on hold under a budget plan presented by the co-chairs of the Oregon Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee. |
ONTARIO - When the 2007 session of the Oregon Legislature kicked off, state community college officials were optimistic about how their institutions would fare regarding funding for the next biennium.
After the release of future state budget proposals by the co-chairs of the joint Oregon House of Representatives and Senate Ways and Means Committee, it appears that initial optimism was misplaced.
While Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has proposed funding basic support for community colleges at $483 million, the two Ways and Means Committee chairs — Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, and Rep. Mary Nolan, D-Portland — specified $458 million.
That figure, Treasure Valley Community College President Jim Sorensen said Friday, is basically a carry-over amount from the last biennium with a cost-of-living increase.
“We are disappointed,’” Sorensen said. “There is no investment.”
State community college presidents requested $529 million for the upcoming biennium, which would allow for improvements and changes in programs and hold the line on tuition, Sorensen said.
At the governor’s proposed $483 million baseline, tuition could stay the same, Sorensen said.
While state community colleges received less than what the governor wanted, the kindergarten through 12th-grade education funding package was ample, state Rep. Tom Butler, R-Ontario, said.
“K-through-12 came out like a bandit,” Butler said.
The two co-chairs of the joint House and Senate Ways and Means Committee proposed $6.2 billion for K-through-12 school districts. K-through-12th grade school districts could come out with as much as $9.1 billion total over the biennium with local funding added in.
The decision by the co-chairs is creating a schism on education funding, Butler said.
“They are putting everybody at odds with K-12,” Butler said.
Also causing concern is the amount Schrader and Nolan recommended for capital spending for community colleges.
Instead of adding $50 million to the existing capital spending community college pot, as first thought, the two lawmakers proposed to set the fund at just $50 million total, Butler said.
Treasure Valley Community College officials said for months that legislative proposals had the college in the running for funding which would probably go to a classroom building.
Sorensen said the capital projects budget needs to be funded at $68 million to $75 million for TVCC to receive money.
However, $50 million could leave TVCC out of the capital funding picture, he said.
“It’s not clear that is the case,” Sorensen said about whether TVCC would be left out with the lawmakers’ proposal.
Sorensen said he was frustrated by the proposed capital funding matrix.
“I’m unhappy with it,” he said. “They appear to be uncomfortable where revenues will end up.”
Butler also took issue with the Ways and Means budget proposal for the state judiciary. He said the proposal for the state judiciary leaves Oregon at the bottom of how much it pays its judges.
“It says we don’t value our judges,” he said.
The Ways and Means Committee chairs propose just a cost of living increase for the state’s judges.
The budget allocation is even more troubling, Butler said, when compared to what lawmakers plan to fund for other projects.
“They are proposing a $30 million renovation of legislative offices,” Butler said, plus a $10 million purchase in furniture.
Butler added the offices are still in pretty good condition, as is the furniture. Butler’s own chair he bought himself for $69 and periodically has it repaired, he said.
Furniture can be purchased out of individual office budgets, he said.
