The Phoenix Business Journal’s Angela Gonzales explores the investigation of the governing board of Maricopa Community Colleges that could lead to the loss of its accreditation. Jim Simpson, president of the Maricopa Community College Faculty Association comments on their stance on the issue.
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Arizona Republic Story – District Seeks More Funds
by Alex Bloom – May. 31, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Maricopa Community Colleges will consider hiking district property taxes next month, but the measure could face resistance at a time when most county residents are feeling economic pain.
Maricopa County Community College District administrators have asked the governing board for a 2 percent increase in property-tax revenues, or $7.5 million, to bring total revenues to about $359 million.
If approved, the measure would raise primary property taxes in the countywide college district by $1.52 on a $100,000 home. The district governing board will meet June 9 to discuss and possibly take action on the proposal. //
The board has the authority to raise property-tax revenues by a maximum of 2 percent, giving it latitude to increase the flow of money to fund its budget by that amount. The Maricopa County Assessor’s Office then sets property-tax rates accordingly to raise the desired revenue amount.
The district board has raised its revenue amount every year for the past decade.
Maricopa Community Colleges seeks the increase because enrollment is expected to balloon during the economic recession, according to Debbie Thompson, vice chancellor of business services.
Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler-Gilbert colleges are already reporting double-digit percentage increases in fall enrollment compared with last year.
“We typically see people returning to college, particularly community college, so they can get retrained and reskilled,” Thompson said.
The colleges also need money to operate newly constructed buildings and classrooms, paid for by a $951.4 million bond approved by voters in 2004.
“Those facilities are going to help us meet the growth of today and the growth for the next 5 to 10 years,” Thompson said.
However, the five-member district governing board voted 4-1 against a tuition increase in March, and board president Colleen Clark does not support a property-tax increase.
“Government often tries to solve complex financial enigmas with higher tax burdens for citizens. In this case, Maricopa County property owners,” Clark said in an e-mail. “I cannot vote for the levy increase because citizens are the better, and rightful, judge for where they want their money to go.”
Justin Olson, an analyst at the Arizona Tax Research Association, criticized the increased levy. Foreclosures, depressed home values and fewer new homes suggest that property-tax increases will hit harder than in previous years.
“We’re hopeful that all taxing districts would go to great lengths to keep taxes from increasing, especially in this current environment,” Olson said. ATRA analysts will meet with district officials next week to discuss the increase.
But Jim Simpson, president of the Maricopa County Community Colleges Faculty Association, said the bump up is necessary to deal with the expected rise in enrollment. Simpson spoke with Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler-Gilbert colleges and said fall enrollment figures were up by double-digit percentages, unlike previous years when audits showed full-time student counts were going down.
“What (ATRA is) relying on is what’s happened in the past, not what’s going to happen in the future,” Simpson said.
Without the full increase, the district will not have the funds to handle enrollment increases over the next few years and will have to cap enrollment and cut programs and student services, said Simpson, an accountant and business professor at Scottsdale Community College.
The district could raise tuition prices, he noted, but that would hurt students.
“Do we spread the pain amongst 110,000 (full-time) students, or do we spread the pain among three million taxpayers?” Simpson asked.
Property-tax revenue accounts for about 58 percent of the district’s operating budget, which was $600 million for 2008-09. The district cut $15 million from the budget in December, asking each campus to slice operating costs by 2 percent. Despite those cuts, the budget is expected to increase to $642 million next year to operate the ten college campuses that are used by roughly 260,000 full- and part-time students.
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( Phoenix, AZ ) The Maricopa County Community College Board of Directors will hold a truth in taxation meeting Tuesday, June ninth in which members could vote to increase the property tax levy. It would amount to an additional $3.80 in taxes per year for a home assessed at $250,000. KJZZ’s Paul Atkinson reports.
President Jim Simpson on Ch. 12
MCCFA President on Ch. 15 5.19.09 talking about tax credits for students!
Ch. 15 & Ch. 12 are picking this up! The release was sent out 5.19.09
GO TO A MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FULL-TIME & BOOKS FOR ONLY $500 A YEAR!
PHOENIX— The Maricopa County Community College District Faulty Association, who represents the entire faculty at all the community colleges, is encouraging all students to take advantage of the American Opportunity Tax Credit. For only $500 a year, a student can go to school full-time (30 units) and pay for books at one of the Maricopa County Community Colleges.
“We feel this incentive will help more students that are financially strapped to go back to school,” stated Jim Simpson, CPA and President of the MCC Faculty Association.
In brief, the American Opportunity Tax Credit specified:
* Any full-time college or university student is eligible.
* A $2500 partially refundable tax credit.
(Please consult a tax professional on how this will benefit you personally.)
Hypothetical example:
Qualified Expense Amount Paid
Tuition for 30 credits ($71 per credit) $2,130
Registration fees for 2 semesters ($15) $30
Books for 10 courses (estimate) $ 840
Total Expenses Paid $3,000
Calculating the credit: The student pays $3,000 and receives a credit of $2,500 on their income tax return. Net cost to the student for thirty credits of MCCCD education: $500.
“Our community colleges are an essential component to the state’s economic recovery. When people are laid off from work, the first place they turn for retraining and advancing their education is the community college,” said Simpson. “I am happy that Maricopa County Community Colleges and faculty can contribute to the potential up-turn of the economic market.”
The MCC Faculty Association represents residential faculty for the ten colleges of the Maricopa County Community College District (Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Gateway, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale and South Mountain). The Association represents the interest of faculty members including educational priorities, employment rights and responsibilities, employment conditions and salaries.
For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact Stacey Dillon of PRfect Media at (480) 540-8736.
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Stacey Dillon
PRfect Media
480.540.8736 cell
480.706.6880 phn
www.prfectmedia.com
Press release sent out 5.15.09:
PROPERTY TAX MAKES EDUCATION LOOK GLOOMIER IN ARIZONA
PHOENIX— Maricopa County property taxes dictate what is given to our educational institutions and those taxes reach them about two years after they are collected. Considering enrollment is up, tuition will not be increased and there are fewer faculties at our Maricopa County Community Colleges, the Maricopa County Community College District Faulty Association, who represents the entire faculty at all the community colleges, is encouraging the governing board to levy a two percent property tax.
“New construction has obviously slowed down in our county,” stated Jim Simpson, CPA and President of the Maricopa County Community College Faculty Association. “We are projecting less property tax over the next few years, making the education budget outlook increasingly grim.”
The governing board for the community colleges announced earlier this year that they were not going to increase tuition and balancing their budgets include no pay increases and layoffs for faculty. “The governing board is going to have to do something to supplement the deficit we are faced with less new construction,” said Simpson. “Implementing the 2% levy would be one way to help bridge the deficit. Especially since the amount that gets approved this year will become part of the base budget going forward into successive years. On the contrary, if not approved, the $7 million deficit will NOT be part of our revenue stream going forward. Our thinking should be focused into the next few years.”
The MCC Faculty Association represents residential faculty for the ten colleges of the Maricopa County Community College District (Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Gateway, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale and South Mountain). The Association represents the interest of faculty members including educational priorities, employment rights and responsibilities, employment conditions and salaries.
For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact Stacey Dillon of PRfect Media at (480) 540-8736.
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