JOHNSTOWN — The Fulton County Board of Supervisors overwhelmingly adopted Fulton-Montgomery Community College’s proposed $20.1 million 2017-18 budget Monday at the County Office Building.
Approval is contingent upon adoption later by the Montgomery County Legislature.
The budget consists of $18.48 million in operating revenue and appropriations, and $1.61 million in grants.
Both college sponsors Fulton and Montgomery counties contribute about $1.5 million each annually to FMCC. The proposed budget — previously approved by the college Board of Trustees — calls for no increase in sponsor shares. Small College Aid is estimated at $188,000 in the budget.
The FMCC budget indicates a 3.18 percent decrease over the 2016-17 budget.
Proposed is a $250 tuition increase for the new school year, taking tuition to $4,450 a year for full-time FMCC students.
The budget is using $515,632 in fund balance. FMCC’s fund balance was at $1.6 million last week.
The only public speaker at the board’s budget hearing was John Kane of West Bush Road, Gloversville.
He claimed Swanger is “promoting diversity into our college by replacing faculty and staff.”
Swanger, a founding member of the local CEO Roundtable group, said in May that the region needs to find a way to increase its population.
“How do we get more people from outside the area to live and work here in our area? Be they from outside of our area, maybe from outside of our country, maybe outside of the state,” Swanger said.
Kane took exception at the hearing to those comments by Swanger, who he said is “promoting his diversity scheme as to filling of jobs in the county.” He claimed Swanger is trying to “import” Bosnian immigrants to the area.
“The change of our workforce at the college and county job creation will promote a change of our culture with a dogma against freedom of religion, the enforcement of Sharia laws, whereby ignoring our Constitution,” Kane said.
Elsewhere in the FMCC budget, personnel services show a $429,611 decrease in the budget, although contractual increases range from 1.5 to 1.7 percent. Benefits will increase by $35,500.
Equipment increases of $7,000 are expected.
A new $25 fee has also been introduced for the new school year for those caught breaking the college’s smoking rules.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected]
