AMARILLO, TEXAS -- A year ago almost to the day, Pronews 7 spoke with administrators at Amarillo College about proposed cutbacks and layoffs.
What was off the table last year after dealing with state cuts was the possibility of a proposed tax hike for property owners. That's all changed.
Last June, Amarillo College President, Dr. Paul Matney discussed the possibility of raising taxes to offset cutbacks at a time when enrollment is near record territory.
"We're not going to go up," he said. "We realize the sensitivity in terms of raising taxes."
This year, things are a lot different.
"For this biennium, we have have received $6 million less from the State that we did for the last biennium," Matney said. "Students are stepping up, while the State is stepping down to a significant degree."
Due to continued cutbacks, AC is asking for a 5.5 percent property tax increase, what amounts to about $1.00 amount a month for any homeowner living in the Amarillo College taxing district.
"The cost of a pizza or a couple people going to the movies, that's what we're asking for," Matney said.
Some of the increase is to pay for raises, but most will go for mandated but unfuinded programs.
"We received a four percent reduction in instructional formula and we could've handled that," Matney explained. "What hit us like a freight train in the middle of the night awas the 41 percent from employee benefits and the 46 percent in employee retirement benefits that we're mandated to make that up. So not only are we not getting state appropriations, we're mandated by the statutes to cover tha so the college has to cover that."
All this depends on the property values put forth by the appraisal districts and a number of public hears that will be held through August.
Other changes that will take place this fall, Amarillo College will no longer accept late registration or payments for any students. Everything must be up to date prior to the first day of class.
