MONTICELLO – The SUNY Sullivan trustees have approved their budget, which amounts to a ‘wish list’ of sorts because the final word will come from the County Legislature.
College President Dr. Karin Hilgersom made her personal pitch to the legislature, during their monthly Executive Committee session on Thursday.
“It does assume an increase in county-based funding of 300,000,” noted Hilgersom, who got $4 million from the county for the current year. “It increases the current tuition rate by $200 per year for a fulltime equivalent student, which is about a hundred dollars per term.”
Hilgersom noted the student trustees endorsed the budget proposal.
The president said they are getting a lot for their money, especially since one of the first things accomplished after her arrival at the college two years ago was settling a five-year contract stalemate. That, Hilgersom said, resolved a critical problem, of not being able to attract quality people to the teaching staff.
“When we went through the hiring process and offered a job to a candidate, they would decline because of the salary.”
Now, Hilgersom said they are in a good place moving toward the next academic year.
County Manager Josh Potosek said he may need to do some careful searching to find the money to cover an additional $300,000, but the schedule gives him some time.
A public hearing on the college budget is scheduled for May 7. A vote by the legislature would come later.
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