Friday, September 12, 2008

Dallas County Community College District approves tuition, tax rate hike

By Pegasus News wire

During its monthly meeting in September, members of the Dallas County Community College District’s board of trustees approved a spring 2009 tuition increase and tax rates for the current year.

The $2 per credit hour increase for in-district students will be implemented this spring, raising the current rate from $39 per semester credit hour to $41 per semester credit hour. Out-of-district residents will pay $76 per semester credit hour; both out-of-state and out-of-country residents will pay $121 per credit unit or a minimum of $200. DCCCD’s in-district tuition rate continues to remain among the lowest for Texas community colleges and is below average in the state for out-of-district and out-of-state residents.

The tuition increase is expected to generate more than $1.5 million in additional revenue for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Trustees also approved tax rates for the current year; the rate for the district’s operating fund did not increase, while the tax rate on DCCCD’s interest and sinking fund (I&S) is increasing - a rate that is based on debt that has been authorized by taxpayers and is not subject to the district’s trustees’ discretion.

“Because property valuations are rising and DCCCD’s I&S tax rate is increasing, property owners can expect to pay more taxes,” said Ed DesPlas, the district’s executive vice chancellor for business affairs. “Although the rate did not go up for maintenance and operations, the (property) values rose; the law requires that we call this an increase, too.”

A house valued last year at $100,000 with the same value this year will be assessed for the same amount of tax dollars for college operations (maintenance and operations taxes) but will be assessed slightly more for debt service (I&S taxes), explained DesPlas. However, if that house is worth $110,000 this year, then the owner will pay more M&O taxes because the value of the property changed and also will pay more I&S taxes because the property value has increased along with the I&S tax rate.

Trustees also approved a 5 percent pay increase for district employees.

Source: DCCCD

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