Money Problems

Nobody can say they aren’t thinking ahead at the Dallas County Community College District. Chancellor Bill Priest has already made the rounds of his four colleges exhorting faculty members to greater effort just in case the district has to ask the voters for more money in 1976.

Priest, who has asked faculty members to “increase productivity by five per cent,” says he does not foresee a need for another bond issue. But he concedes it is likely the DCCCD will have to find more money by September, 1976. Of course, he is talking about taxes.

As Priest sees it, there are three avenues whereby the district can obtain more revenue: more state aid, a tax increase or an increase in the district’s percentage of assessment.

The last appears to be the most likely route since it seems that additional state aid would be less than adequate and the tax increase would require a district-wide referendum. Increasing the rate of assessment can be done by board action alone, thus bypassing the need for voter approval or increased lobbying in Auston.

Priest declined to speculate on how much of an increase from the present 25 per cent of assessed value might be needed – if, in fact, this is the revenue path ultimately taken.

Both the city and the school district now assess at 54 per cent on each $ 100 valuation so this already has local precedent.