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May 19, 2008

Tentative NCCC budget up 2.6 percent

<a href="mailto:lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com">By LOHR McKINSTRY</a>

ELIZABETHTOWN — North Country Community College wants $45,000 more from each sponsoring county for its tentative 2008-09 budget.

Essex and Franklin counties now pay $2.19 million each, and that would go up 2 percent to $2.28 million in the preliminary budget released Monday.

The new budget totals $12.77 million, a 2.66-increase from the current $12.43 million.

NCCC Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas Finch told the Essex County Board of Supervisors’ Finance Committee that a final budget is still being worked out.

“We’re hoping to bring a budget to the (college) Board of Trustees at their June meeting.”

Vice President of Fiscal Operations William Chapin said the college wants to increase tuition but hasn’t gotten the OK yet from the State University of New York, which oversees community colleges.

The college wants to raise tuition $150 a year for in-state students and $280 for out-of-state students. It’s at $3,340 in-state and $8,400 out-of-state now.

The college is projecting a 2.7-percent revenue increase, with expenses up 2.4 percent, Chapin said.

“We’ve held the line on expenses where we have control. We’re trying to maintain our budget and be as frugal as we can.”

Salaries will hold the line, he said, but benefit costs will increase for health insurance and retirement. Health insurance is up 9.2 percent, he said.

The college is getting an extra $50,000 from the NCCC Foundation to support operations, he said.

But that will be offset by the $50,000 the college is paying to search for a new president. President Dr. Gail Rogers Rice is retiring soon.

Chargebacks, part of the tuition that sponsoring counties must pay when their residents attend community colleges other than NCCC, are also projected to increase, from $682,000 to $697,000.

Chapin said the college has no fund balance.

“We are moving toward a positive fund balance.”

With 1,100 in student enrollment now at campuses in Saranac Lake, Malone and Ticonderoga, a slight increase to 1,120 is anticipated for next year.

“We do have continued growth. We are reaching capacity at Saranac Lake” main campus, Chapin said.

Finance Committee Chairman/Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah) said that once a final budget is ready, they’ll schedule a joint meeting with the Franklin County Legislature to go over it and agree on their shares.

He said he also wants the college to provide actual costs versus budgeted costs for the current budget so they can see what was actually spent.

Chapin said they’ve kept the budget as low as possible.

“It is a very tight budget.”



E-mail Lohr McKinstry at:

lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com

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