EAC board approves $39.1 million budget

By Diane Saunders
Staff Writer
Published on Sunday, June 22, 2008 11:58 AM MST

Eastern Arizona College’s 2008-09 budget of $39.105 million reflects an 8-percent increase in the spending plan and a 6.13-percent decrease in the property tax rate.

The budget and tax rate of $1.8805 per $100 assessed valuation were approved by the Eastern Arizona College Governing Board on June 18. The previous tax rate was $2.003 per $100 assessed value.

The college’s budget includes a general fund budget of $30.846 million — an increase of $2.362 million. The remainder of the money — $8.259 million — is in the college’s unexpended plant funds budget. This budget amount is $537,825 more than last year.

The plant funds include expenditures related to land, buildings, equipment and library books, and the general fund includes expenses related to student academics, such as instruction, academic support, student services, scholarships and public service.

According to the budget summary, salaries and wages account for 53.63 percent of the budget, or $16.541 million. Employee benefits totaling nearly $5.9 million take up another 19.12 percent of the spending plan. The budget also includes a contingency of $1.464 million — 4.75 percent of the budget.

In other business, the governing board learned that 368 visitors have taken the tour of the Mount Graham International Observatory. The weekly tour originates from the college’s Discovery Park Campus, Dean Harry Swanson said.

Swanson anticipates 500 visitors to the observatory are possible this year. Two vans are often needed to accommodate the guests, he said.

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1 comment(s)

Graham County taxpayer wrote on Jun 24, 2008 8:08 AM:

" Take notice,for the last 3 years EAC Mark Bryce and the board have allowed to be printed the EAC budget in the Courier,PROBLEM: No one on this planet can read it because of the small print.But EAC has in big print, the increase in taxation.The last budget printed this year in the paper had even a blur to it!This is not an accident only rubbing our noses in it and we like cattle go along with it. No one else even wrote a blog on EAC taxes?? "

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