Statewide mill levy bill remains unsuccessful
The 16 Wyoming counties without community colleges will still not be taxed to help pay for the seven colleges throughout the state after a bill failed introduction in this past legislative session.
The bill called for a statewide mill levy, which would impose a one mill tax on every county that does not house a community college.
A mill is one dollar for every $1000 of value. So, the owner of a $100,000 house would be taxed $100 each year if a one mill levy were imposed.
Supporters said the tax would be a fair way to fund colleges, but opponents said the focus should first be to improve the community college governance to prevent wealthy counties from paying unfairly high taxes.
House Education Committee Chairman Del McOmie, R-Fremont, knew the bill would not pass this session because of “discomfort with the community college system” and the lack of coordination among the colleges.
Sue Wallis, R-Campbell, House Education Committee member, said the community college system needs to be completely overhauled before she would support a statewide mill levy.
She characterized Wyoming’s community colleges as “seven fiefdoms that don’t necessarily get along.” Wallis said Wyoming needs a statewide system of higher education to bring education to the people where, when and how they’ll need it.
Rep. McOmie also understood counties with mineral wealth, such as coal-rich Campbell County, may oppose the levy because of their high assessed values. Because a mill levy taxes a percentage of a county’s value, one mill from a wealthy county would take much more money out of that county than one mill from a low-valued county.
Minerals belong to the state, not the county, Laramie County Community College President Dr. Darrel Hammon said, so the money earned from the minerals industry should go to the state’s colleges.
Rep. Wallis also opposed the bill because she worried Campbell County’s one mill would contribute more to Northern Wyoming Community College than would its home county of Sheridan. She said, Campbell County, however, would be underrepresented on the college district board, relative to the money they contribute.
Dr. Jim Rose, executive director of the Wyoming Community College Commission, said the bill needs to clarify how counties would be represented if the whole state pays.
The mill levy could work, Wallis said, if the governance issues were resolved, but she would prefer colleges were funded like the University of Wyoming: entirely from tuition and the state general fund.
Rep. Kathy Davison, R-Sublette/Lincoln/Sweetwater, a member of the Education Committee, supports community colleges, but opposed the bill on behalf of the taxpayers. “We don’t need another mill levy on our people,” she said. Davison explained the counties that host community colleges receive a lot of economic benefit from them. Students spend money on rent, food and entertainment, all of which bring money into the county.
Erin Taylor, executive director of the Wyoming Taxpayers Association, said she is not fond of the mill levy because on average, community colleges already get 60 percent of their funding from the state. Taylor is pleased to see representation of all the counties on the college boards, but said the community college system still needs further study.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal has called for a task force to study community colleges this summer and to focus partly on creating a statewide community college system.
Currently, Fremont, Goshen, Laramie, Natrona, Park, Sheridan and Sweetwater counties all fund their community colleges by taxing the county residents five mills. If those five mills and tuition do not adequately cover the college’s expenses, the state contributes to remaining costs. On average, the state pays 60 percent of community college expenses from the general fund, to which all counties contribute.
Some taxpayers may feel they do not benefit from community colleges, and therefore, should not have to pay for them. LCCC’s Hammon said in reference to that common complaint: “Remember who fixes your car or takes care of you when you’re sick.” Chances are, “they were trained at community college.” Hammon said everyone benefits from an educated population. When people are more educated, he said, they make more money and then pay more taxes. People with higher wages become more invested in the state, Hammon said.