Budget Woes Continue as Davis Announces More Cuts
$3 million cut from student counseling, financial aid, and faculty development programs
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"We'll try to protect the City College family and get through the year without layoffs."
Philip R. Day, Chancellor of City College
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"Actions that the governor has taken will make it much more difficult for City College to provide services to needy students," said Peter Goldstein, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration.
Despite continuing budgetary woes, finance and administration officials have pledged to protect both jobs and the quality of education at City College.
"The goal in developing this year's budget is to maintain the status quo," said Goldstein.
"We'll try to protect the City College family and get through the year without layoffs."
To that end, on June 10, City College faculty reached a collective agreement with the administration to postpone a scheduled July 1 wage increase until January 1, 2003, saving the school $1.9 million.
Allan Fisher, President of the American Federation of Teachers, Local 2121, representing the City College faculty, worries that instructors might be asked to go without again next year.
"No one is optimistic about the chances of seeing improvement in the state budget next year," he said. "Whether it could be done again is an open question."
That City College has been able to sustain itself so well, so far, is largely due to coffers stuffed during the economic boom of the late 1990s, when San Francisco voters' decided to contribute a share of local sales tax to the school.
"The boom's sales tax gave us today's cushion," said Chancellor Philip Day. But as the Bay Area's economy continues to slump, the college can no longer rely on this local revenue source.
In fact, this year City College will receive $3 million less in sales tax dollars than in 2001-2002.
With declining support in local funding and diminishing attention from the Governor's office, college officials have no choice but to keep their fingers crossed.
"If elected officials in Sacramento don't raise taxes, it will be trouble for higher education," said Goldstein.
Although a tax increase before the November election is highly unlikely, once the Governor is reelected, "things may get better."
For the time being, the school will just have to tighten its belt even further.
Promising that City College will "start off very lean" this year, Day plans to initiate an expense reduction program limiting faculty travel and other expenditures sooner than was scheduled.
"If we can impose conservative spending without shortchanging students and faculty, we could save $1.5 to 2 million dollars," said Day.
"That would be a good start to a year in which we may be facing some real critical issues."