Mid-Plains Community College will decrease its local property tax asking for 2015-2016 by 4.88 percent. At Wednesday night’s MPCC Board of Governors meeting, Mike Steele, the College’s Vice-President of Administrative Services presented a potential budget to be advertised before the upcoming Sept.16 Board of Governors meeting.

MPCC’s overall valuation for the the 18-county service area went up 16.55 percent. The proposed budget for publication will be as follows: The general budget will increase from $24,626,880 in 2014-15 to $25,622,727 in 2015-16 with the associated general fund levy decreasing from 6.5000 cents to 5.950 cents.  The college’s capital fund will increase from 1.50 cents to 1.65 cents.

The overall college’s tax asking will be down from 8.2000 in 2014-15 to 7.8000 cents per $100 or a 4.88 percent decrease for FY 2015-16.  The college’s ADA tax levy is proposed to remain unchanged at 0.2000 cents. Total expenditures for all funds is $41,997,869.

According to Ryan Purdy, president of MPCC, the Mid-Plains Levy is the second lowest in the state behind Southeast Community College with campuses in Lincoln, Milford and Beatrice and their anticipated levy projected to at 7.57 cents per $100 of assessed value.

In taking action, Jo Brown moved and Mathew Broz seconded to publish a proposed budget in local newspapers.

A final budget will be presented at the Public Hearing currently scheduled for Sept. 16. A formal announcement to time and location of the public hearings will be released in the near future.