College financing proposal doesn’t sit well with cities

Monday, Dec. 6, 1999 | 11:15 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Regent Mark Alden's idea to have cities and counties chip in $24 million a year to finance the state's community colleges is drawing strong opposition from local government officials.

"It's a pipe dream," said Tom Grady, director of the Nevada Municipal League, which represents cities.

"It's not a realistic proposal," added Bob Hadfield, director of the Nevada Association of Counties.

Alden, at a meeting of the University and Community College System of Nevada regents on Thursday, suggested that cities and counties allocate $24 million a year to help fund the community colleges and the proposed state college in Henderson.

Alden of Las Vegas said state revenue is growing at 4 percent to 6 percent but the enrollment in higher education is rising 6 percent to 7 percent.

"So there's a gap," he said. "And (Senate Majority Leader Bill) Raggio has made it real clear about 20 percent of the state's hard money is all we're going to get."

The university system receives from 17 percent to 20 percent of the state's budget.

"Throughout the country, community colleges get funded by local revenue. We're one of the very few states in the country where there is no local revenue support," Alden said.

"I'm not talking about raising taxes," he said. "I'm talking about redirecting them."

Hadfield said the counties have less revenue growth than the state. "If the state can't handle it, we can't handle it."

Hadfield and Grady noted the state created the community college system and Alden would then make local governments responsible for part of the support.

"It's an unfunded mandate," Hadfield said.

"The community colleges have been a huge success in the rural areas and in the urban areas, but to ask the locals to fund them is ludicrous," Grady said.

"Where does he (Alden) expect the cities and counties to get the money?" Grady asked. "In many rural counties the assessed valuation is going down. Mines are closing," adding to the financial problems of local government.