The budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year and a tax abatement for a cement company were discussed by the Odessa College Board of Trustees during a workshop Wednesday in the Wood Math and Science Building.
The notice said the meeting was at 6:30 p.m. in the Zant Community Room at the Saulsbury Campus Center, but both time and location were moved. Ashley Warren, executive assistant to the president, said there was a technical issue with the agenda software and work sessions are always at noon.
The board didn’t have a quorum, but a consultant to the Freedom of Information Foundation Hotline said the board can discuss items without one, but can’t make any decisions.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 2 in the Zant Community Room of the Saulsbury Campus Center.
The board is considering a tax rebate for GCC, a cement company. Vice President of Administrative Services Ken Zartner said the agreement is still in the works.
“We have to draft the legal agreements, but our proposal that the board is considering, it hasn’t been adopted, is a five-year abatement, a 50% and then a year six through 10 abatement at 25%. With both those abatements paid up front,” Zartner said.
GCC is proposing a $400 million expansion to their facility.
Chief Financial Officer Brandy Ham said the proposed budget with all funds is $75,241,575. The unrestricted funds are $58,761,177 and the restricted and plant funds are $16,480,338.
Ham said restricted funds include things like Pell grants and any leftover CARES money. CARES stands for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security.
Overall, Ham said the budget is increasing by $5,537,000, which is equivalent to a 10.4 percent increase.
Ham said looking at the revenue projections to support the budget, tuition and fees are increasing by $3.3 million, or 24 percent.
Taxes are also increasing by $2.1 million, which Ham said is equivalent to a 7.9 percent increase. She added that this is based on net assessed values increasing by 13.5 percent.
The budget priorities for the year are to maintain competitive salaries, support the OC 10,000 initiative, investing in student success strategies and completion of ongoing construction projects across campus.
“Some of the main new initiatives (are) mental telehealth software that will aid our students … 24 hours a day; a 20-foot shipping container for our OSET CE Department (OSET stands for Occupational Safety & Environmental Technology); chat platform licensing, so we can chat with students online from the platform; food pantry vouchers; vehicle replacements. There are two golf carts in there; and then a ranch water well,” Ham said.
On the food pantry vouchers, Ham said the college has set aside funding for food for the food pantry and vouchers for students to eat in the cafeteria when they are physically on campus.
Ham said the budget also includes a net increase of 23 full-time positions.
“Our instructional faculty and staff are increasing by 18 positions. The administrative and support staff by five positions for a total of 23. …,” Ham said.
Ham said the proposed budget also includes a 6 percent raise for all eligible full-time faculty, professional and classified staff.
OC has 422 employees in the proposed budget, but not everybody would be affected by that. They would have had to be hired before April 15 to be eligible, Ham said.
The salary change moves from 15 semester credit hours for faculty to the 18 semester credit hours for faculty, a one-time, mid-year $300 stipend for all eligible full-time employees and then a mid-year performance bonus for all eligible full-time employees, she said.
Ham said there are 422 employees in the proposed budget, but not everyone would be impacted by that. They would have had to be hired before April 15 to be eligible, she added.