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CMC proposes $39 million budget

Lynn Burton
Post Independent Staff

Colorado Mountain College expects its 3.9-mill levy to raise $28.7 million in property taxes for fiscal year 2003-2004, under a draft budget the board of trustees will vote on in Steamboat Springs on Friday, June 13.

The college district’s general fund will hit $39 million, said spokesperson Joe Marquez. Of the total revenue pie, 70 percent will come from property taxes, 17 percent from tuition, and 13 percent from state reimbursements.

“Tuition will remain the same,” Marquez said.



The big-ticket item this year will be the new $7 million Eagle River Valley Campus in Edwards, which wraps up a 10-year, $50 million facilities construction program.

Marquez said the district will hire two new professors next school year, plus an emergency medical services director to standardize emergency curriculum across the college district. “We were getting a lot of requests for that,” he said.



As for new programs, the college will offer a higher-level CISCO Systems certification, and will offer Fire Academy I and II courses.

The college will create 10 new “smart classrooms” with multi-media capabilities, and a new interactive video room.

For instructors, the district will establish an in-house academy to teach them how to better use computers in the classroom.

Interim CMC President Dr. Robert Spuhler said the district has budgeted a 7 percent drop in state funding for 2003-2004. “This played a big part in the decision to put $1,961,000 of this budget in the revenue reserve to help cover any additional decreases in state money,” Spuhler said. “Our goal over the next couple of years is to increase the balance in the revenue reserve to at least $7 million.”

Spuhler said the college has been hit with a 35 percent increase in its health insurance premiums for 2003-2004, and will also pay each employee an additional $100 per month to help cover increased insurance costs.

Colorado’s 2003-2004 draft budget is available for inspection at college offices.

Contact Lynn Burton: 945-8515, ext. 534

lburton@postindependent.com


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