Regents leave 2006-2007 tax rate unchanged

Published or Revised August 30, 2006

The Paris Junior College Board of Regents Monday night voted not to increase the 2006-2007 tax rate and approved a budget of just over $21 million. Regents left the college's tax rate at 19.22 cents (0.1922) per $100 valuation and approved a budget for next year of $21,381,095, which is an increase of $1.5 million over last year's budget. Regents accepted the certified tax roll for the Paris Junior College District as presented by the Appraisal District. The total taxable value on the 2006 roll will be $1,383,873, 436, an increase of more than $200 million over last year's tax roll. In other financial action, the Board of Regents approved the transfer of $500,000 from the current unrestricted fund to the plant fund. The transfer will come from this year's excess revenues after expenditures and reimbursements have been made. The additional money will be added to the $1.3 million that has already been accumulated in the fund over the past three years and will be used to upgrade the air conditioning infrastructure on the Paris campus. Regents also took action to authorize two banks, Lamar National Bank and Bank of America, to act as broker/dealers for investments by the college. In other action, the board: » Voted to set the general property deposit for students at zero for the school year. » Approved a proposal by the Lamar County Appraisal District to resell through bidding a piece of property in Sperry's First Addition. » Approved the administration's recommendation that the college furnish a driver and vehicle to run a route to Cunningham and back four days a week as deemed necessary based on Cunningham residents needing transportation to classes. The car would pick up students at a designated time in the morning and return them in the afternoon. » Approved a recommendation to let the local Archers for Christ utilize college land north of the Civic Center and sports complex to host the Archery Shooter's Association of Texas Pro-Am competition next March. Regents also accepted the resignation of board member Gary Preston, who has moved from the district, and recognized the retirement of Janie Bonham and Robbie White. Bonham, who taught and directed the Adult Education and GED programs at PJC, worked at the college for 24 years. White was director of PJC Continuing Education and Workforce and spent 18 years at the college. In executive session, the Board of Regents took action on several personnel matters, including accepting the resignation of Karla Clifton, Grace Rutherford, Ashley Johnston and Tiffnay Fitzgerald. They approved the employment of biology instructor Cheryl Anderson, assistant baseball coach and dorm supervisor Andrew Powers, assistant men's basketball coach and dorm supervisor Adam Walsh, biology instructor Ed McCraw, director of Adult Education and Family Literacy Louisa Kessel, and tracking specialist Gay Morris. Reassignments approved by the board included Chastity Woodson from Talent Search to math instructor, Marjorie Pannell from Networking Program lab facilitator to instructor of Networking, and Karen Powers from clinical coordinator of the program to coordinator of the Radiology Technology program.