Student fee proposal for repairs
by N.S. Garcia
The Metropolitan
With $16.5 million in needed controlled maintenance, the Auraria Higher
Education Center is contemplating asking students at all three institutions
to approve a $40 per semester student fee in the Spring semester election.
Saying a student fee is a last resort, AHEC, a state agency entrusted
with the upkeep of the campus, previously received $2 million annually
for projects such as replacing broken windows, bad plugs and building
repairs.
However, with the state in a budget crunch, capital funding was the first
to go, according to Dean Wolf, AHEC vice president for administration.
“We’ve gone three years without any controlled maintenance
(money),” he said. “This was all stopped when the state was
going through the budget shortfall.”
Wolf said the state even took back $6.5 million in funds allocated to
renovate the Arts Building in 2002.
Ranging in priority, projects AHEC says need to be completed include:
replacing fire and security systems, replacing roofs at both Plaza and
Seventh Street buildings, repairing and replacing plumbing and electrical
systems in all buildings and repairing or replacing the elevator systems
on campus.
AHEC said funding should come from the school and state, not the students.
Wolf said the Tivoli renovations and projects are managed outside of
AHEC, while they do maintain the orderliness of the building.
“Students need to tell their lawmakers this isn’t acceptable,”
said Brian Glotzbach, Metro’s vice president for student fees.
Meanwhile, according to two Senators, Dave Owen, R- Greeley and Ken Arnold,
R-Westiminister, the state’s hands are tied until the Colorado budget
improves or TABOR limitations are lightened or revoked.
The Tax Payer’s Bill of Rights is an amendment to the Colorado
constitution that requires the state to return any funds above their allotted
budget based on growth, inflation, and revenue.
Owen said the 9/11 attacks as well as a 17 percent revenue loss in Colorado
has forced the legislators to drastically cut in all areas. He also pointed
out that Amendment 23 forces lawmakers to allocate a large chunk of funds
to K-12 education.
Owen was the chairman for the Joint Budget Committee last session. Amendment
23, passed in 2003, requires the state to fund public K-12 education,
which currently receives 44 percent of the budget.
Arnold said TABOR’s limitations do not account for the many projects
the state must fund.
“The problem is with TABOR; it doesn’t allow us to keep extra
money,” he said.
Owen said while he understands every college and state agency is pinching
pennies, regarding the proposed student fee: “I wouldn’t go
hitting up the student.”
Arnold was quick to point out that while tuition and fees are rising
in Colorado, tuition cost is low compared to other states.
“The way I see it, the students are going to pay unless we get
the state government to take care of their business,” Glotzbach
said.
Metro Student Trustee Stephen Hay said Metro and the other campuses are
in a “catch-22.”
“I don’t know where to get the money,” he said. “But
I fully support letting the students decide.”
He said if students turn down any voluntary fee, AHEC and the schools
will have to find somewhere else to come up with the cost.
“Controlled maintenance is ongoing,” Wolf said.
However, Wolf said if the proposed student fee becomes a reality, he
would like to see review options in place so that AHEC could either adjust
the fee or end it if they see fit.
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