GCC trustees approve budget

By TOM STANKARD

[email protected]

Ironwood - The Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees approved the college's 2016-17 budget Tuesday evening.

GCC Dean on Business Services Erik Guenard said the college's 2016-17 general fund budget "reflects a very modest increase of less than 1 percent in expenditures, and about a .4 percent increase in revenues."

"This reflects an approximate 2 percent increase in enrollment that we experienced this fall, a slight increase in state aid and the efforts of all staff to hold the line on spending," he said.

In the college's general fund, total budget for revenues for 2016-17 is $11,252,283. This is up from last year's budgeted revenues of $10,824,453, a difference of $427,830.

General fund expenses for 2016-17 are budgeted at $10,951,393. This is up from last year, with a budgeted amount of $10,909,450, a difference of $41,943.

As for the college's designated fund, GCC budgeted $1,006,394 for revenues. Last year, the college budgeted $1,001,734 in revenues.

The total budgeted expenditures in the designated fund for 2016-17 is $995,378, up from the 2015-16 budget of $982,719.

The total budget revenues for the college's restricted fund for 2016-17 is $4,030,178. Last year, the restricted fund's budgeted revenues stood at $4,384,662.

Budgeted expenses for the restricted fund are $3,939,958 for 2016-17. Last year, the college budgeted $4,395,412.

Guenard said the restricted fund is used for federal and state purposes, such as loans, grants and scholarships. He said the decrease in the restricted fund budget is due to a smaller enrollment over the past three years.

For the college's plant fund, the amount budgeted for revenues for 2016-17 is $509,235, an increase from last year at $434,744. Budgeted expenditures for 2016-17 are $484,235, compared to $484,425 last year.

Also on the agenda, the board learned that Mt. Zion is now equipped with handicap equipment.

According to Jim Vander Spoel, director of the Ski Area Management program, "Mt. Zion has purchased two Skiman Sit-ski's for individuals that are 50 to 250 pounds with a disability to be able to ski on the hill."

According to the college, Vander Spoel is currently the only staff member trained on the equipment, but as part of the Introduction to Ski Instruction class this fall, all of the students and lift operators will be trained to use the equipment.

The trustees also passed a resolution originating from the Omnibus Appropriations Act for 2013-14, which requires, as a condition of receiving its state appropriations, that a community college report on its success in achieving five best practices in three different categories. The categories are Economic Development and Business or Industry Partnerships, Educational Partnerships and Community Services.

Lorenson said GCC not only meets but also exceeds the best practice standards as required by the appropriations law.