I’m writing this “pre-May Revise,” so I don’t know exactly what sort of budget Gov. Schwarzenegger will propose for community colleges for 2008–09. I do know the governor’s budget proposal will lack the kind of proposals for new revenue that are needed to fund the colleges, K-12, CSU, UC, health care, social services and every other public agency or institution adequately.

Before the “wild rumpus” over 2008–09 begins, we must ensure that the Legislature and governor honor the commitment they made to the state’s 109 community colleges when the budget for 2007–08 was approved.

That budget assumed about $90 million more in local property tax revenue in the current year than has actually been collected. If the state fails to make community colleges whole for this missing property tax revenue, they will end up sustaining a 2 percent cut in the final months of the current year, the only public agency to suffer in this way. Our chronically underfunded colleges will enter the 2008–09 budget fray suffering from a serious last-minute pre-game injury.

CFT, CTA and other organizations are working conscientiously together to get the 2007–08 property tax shortfall “backfilled.” Assemblyman Mike Eng introduced AB 2277 to fix the shortfall problem, which must be addressed either legislatively or through the budget process. Many legislators have joined Eng as co-authors, and awareness of this unique community college problem is growing in Sacramento. But this mission is far from accomplished.

What have your local legislators done? This is the time for you to call them and ask for their support for the 2007–08 backfill. Do it today, before calls on the 2008–09 budget start flooding their offices.

- Carl Friedlander, President, Community College Council