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Weatherford College Board proposes lower tax rate for 2019-20

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Special to The Community News

The Weatherford College Board of Trustees voted to propose a Parker County property tax rate of 11.495 cents per $100 valuation for the 2019-20 budget during a meeting held Thursday, Aug. 8. This is the fourth time out of the past five years the board has proposed to reduce the tax rate from the previous year.

Due to a 16.6 percent increase in Parker County property valuations, the new tax rate would generate additional funds for the college bringing the annual budget to $60.2 million.

Because the rate will bring in additional tax dollars, two public hearing are required before the board can officially adopt the rate. Hearings are scheduled for 12 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, in the Conference Room of the E.W. Mince Administration Building and 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, in the Allene Strain Community Room of the Doss Student Center.

The final tax rate and 2019-20 budget will be adopted during a 2 p.m. meeting on Thursday, Aug. 29, in the Allene Strain Community Room.

In other business the board:

  • Approved the minutes from the July 11 board meeting.
  • Approved the financial reports ending July 31.
  • Approved sealed bids for color and web printing services.
  • Approved sealed bids for the National Science Foundation grand-funded industrial training systems.
  • Approved sealed bids for food service products and supplies.
  • Approved a local policy establishing the date and times of future board meetings.
  • Received reports on Guided Pathways, the demand study, the veterinary technician program and an update from Dr. Daniel O’Meara, WC Wise County Dean, on the status of the campus.

In his President’s Report, Dr. Tod Allen Farmer:

  • Recognized Ralph Willingham and his assistant Tammy Peters for their work with student veterans. Willingham was recently awarded the Diana Davis Award by the Western Association of Veterans Education Specialists for his exceptional service to veterans.
  • Congratulated Agriculture Program Director Vance Christie and WC ag students for their recent honors at the 91st annual Texas State FFA Convention.
  • Recognized Upward Bound Program Director Jeff Kahlden and his team for their work over with approximately 50 area high school students who participated in the Upward Bound Summer Academy Program at WC.
  • Congratulated Bob Glenn, Brent Baker and the entire Weatherford College Foundation board on the increase in endowed scholarship donations.
  • Presented the annual testing report on the Texas high school equivalency exams.
  • Reported the resignation of ADN instructor Shirley Greenway and social sciences instructor Yuan Yan.
  • Provided an enrollment update. With 36 days remaining prior to the Fall 2019 census date, the preliminary enrollment projections indicate a 2.5 percent year-to-date increase in enrollment.  However, due to the increase in early enrollment, college administrators anticipate a flattening as the summer progresses, and are likely to end up near last fall’s record high enrollment.

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