Last Updated: Thursday, June 14, 2007 3:05 PM CDT
Nicolet holds budget hearing June 28
Nicolet College will hold a public hearing on its proposed 2007-08 budget at 5 p.m., Thursday, June 28, in the University Transfer Center Fireside Room on the Rhinelander campus.
The proposed budget represents a 1.63 percent increase over last year. Nicolet was able to limit the increase - and add new education opportunities - by diligently assessing services and resources and then reallocating dollars to meet emerging demands, said Nicolet College President Adrian Lorbetske.
“The balance we always strive for is to provide the best education we can that benefits both individuals and communities in a way that makes the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars,” Lorbetske said. “This budget does that.”
The budget provides for new services, namely a greater number of flexible classes for people who cannot attend college during the day. The budget also includes payments on the new 7,000 square-foot expansion designed to move students from waiting lists into classrooms, he added. The addition will allow the college to accept more than 100 more health occupations students each year. Construction will be complete by the start of the Fall Semester.
If the budget is approved by the Nicolet College Board of Trustees after the public hearing, the 2007-08 budget for the college would be $31,086,693 as compared to $30,587,765 last year. Of this, $19,475,815 would come from the tax levy, a 4.5 percent increase over last year. The mill rate would be 1.07, 3.2 percent less than last year.
The difference between the 1.63 percent total budget increase and the 4.5 percent levy increase is due to the continued decline in state and federal aid.
Still, this would be the 10th consecutive year the Nicolet mill rate has declined. This is due to tight fiscal constraint by the Nicolet board, administrators and staff combined with rising property values, Lorbetske explained. The proposed budget the board will vote on is based on a projected 8 percent increase in property values. If property values come in higher than that, Nicolet's mill rate will drop accordingly.
Broken down, the projected mill rate includes .13 to cover debt service and .94 to cover operational costs, the latter of which is well below the state cap of 1.5 mandated by Wisconsin law.
Over the years Nicolet has historically had one of the lowest mill rates of the 16 colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System. This year Nicolet is again expected to have the second or third lowest mill rate in the system.
Nicolet's projected mill rate of 1.07 would result in a total tax of $107.50 on a home and property valued at $100,000. Last year the owner of a $100,000 home paid $111.10 to support Nicolet.
| Tell us what you think... |
| Comments » |
The
comments above are from readers. In no way do they represent the views of the Rhinelander Daily News. |
|
| Post a comment
(150 word limit) » |
| We will not post reader comments containing
racial, religious or personal attacks, slander,
profanity, e-mail addresses, mailing addresses,
phone numbers or Web site addresses that are
for personal or promotional gain. |
|
|
| Thank you for your comments! Once your comments
are approved, they will appear on the site. |
|
|
|
|
feed
Comments
