Cabrillo College Officials Holding Public Budget Forums

Administrators and teachers at Cabrillo College are entering the 2012-13 budget process like a person walking in their home during a power outage. Having to cut $6 million out of next year's budget is familiar territory, but it's hard for anyone to see what is ahead in the distance.

Vice President of Administrative Services Victoria Lewis said the plan at this point is to use $3.5 million from their operating reserves with cuts patching the remaining $2.5 million deficit in Cabrillo's approximately $56 million general fund. This process will begin at the College Planning Council (CPC) next Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Student Activities Center East (SAC East) building.

"We don't have a lot of details yet," said Lewis on Thursday. “Basically, if the tax increases don't pass, the governor will probably shift debt out to local agencies, and that will hit us with more cuts.”

The tax increase she referred to is Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal for November ballot initiatives that would raise the state sales tax and income tax on those earning more than $250,000 per year. However, Cabrillo will already be a quarter through their school year by then so the CPC is unlikely to produce a budget that relies on those funds.

If Brown's tax plan doesn't pass, Cabrillo Faculty Senate President Michael Mangin said that “[community colleges] are going to get reamed.” He is trying not to dwell on all the 'what if' scenarios in the future, and is focused on the task of making a budget that causes the least damage.

“The headline is not the Novemeber initiatives, but that it is going to be a challenge to make the cuts that are already going to be made,” said Mangin.

The school is required to spend 50 percent of the general fund on faculty and they are already down near that figure. Lewis said that they will be looking for more cuts in administration and classified staff. Both departments have suffered cuts in the past three years.

However, Cabrillo Classified Employee Union President Stephanie Stainback was concerned last year that laying off more workers she represents—including janitors, division coordinators, and lab aids—could lower the quality of services to students and possibly violate contracts by pushing more workload onto fewer people.

Governor Brown has already approved a student fee hike of $10 in 2012-13, bringing the price for a unit to $46. Further fee increases have been discussed privately, but no proposals are on the table at this point.

School leaders have scheduled a series of meetings at Cabrillo to explain the process and explore solutions with students, parents and community members. Below is a list of meetings and scheduled speakers

• Victoria Lewis, Weds. Jan. 25 at 9 a.m., 450 Building Forum

• Instructors, Thurs. Jan. 26 at 4 p.m., Location TBD

• Student Services, Fri. Jan. 27, Location and time TBD