Mid Plains board to vote on budget

NORTH PLATTE -- The Mid-Plains Community College Board of Governors will be asked to adopt the 2009-10 budget at $26,366,261, at the regular meeting Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., room 200 at the North Platte Campus.

Prior to this meeting, the board will meet at 6 p.m. at the same location for a public hearing to hear support, opposition, criticism or observations of taxpayers relating to the proposed budget. Another hearing is scheduled afterward to set the final tax request.

Due to increased property valuations and a revised funding formula, the total property tax request for 2009-10 is $8,876,549.00, compared to $8,173,225.00 last year.

Under the proposed tax rate, property owners will pay 0.087994, or slightly less than nine cents, per $100 of valuation. The 2008-09 tax rate was $ 0.088455.

The tax rate includes 0.001179 for capital improvements and 0.002353 for ADA/Hazmat abatement.

Other items up for vote include:

* approving the increase of the base limitation by one percent, carrying forward to 2010-11 the unused budget authority of $1,618,618,57 from 2009-10 and preceding fiscal years.

* the second reading of a board policy for athletic grants-in-aid. Earlier this year, the college voted to increase the athletic scholarship program to provide full-ride scholarships for up to 24 student athletes.

At a 4 p.m. work session at the same location, the Board will discuss, but take no action on, the following items: upcoming board meeting locations; senior citizen athletic passes; tuition for disabled students and the budget.