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Clackamas Community College
Wednesday November 2, 1983
Vol. XVII, No. 5
Levy failure could hamper college morale
By Doug Vaughan
The reason for this concern is understandable;
the levy will be the only item on the ballot. Hakanson
Clackamas Community College is currently is confident the levy will pass, but if it does not, the
functioning on the last year of a three-year, rate­ College will propose another one to the voters before
based serial levy. The Board of Education has pro­ the current one ends on June 30, 1984.
posed a similar levy to go before the voters Nov. 8.
A tax-based serial levy taxes the individual on
“The chances (of the levy passing) are good,’’
President John Hakanson said. “The College enjoys assessed property value. The proposed levy possesses
a good reputation throughout the community. My an average annual increase of four percent, which
main concern is that people who support the College would set a maximum tax of $1.39 per $1,000 of
assessed value. The current tax is $1.24 per $1,000.
may not go vote.’’
Of The Print
“It tells the voters they will know the tax won’t
be anymore than $1.39,” Hakanson said. “The
theory with this type of levy is that you know what
the maximum tax will be.”
If passed, the levy will be used strictly for
maintenance and equipment to keep the programs
current, Hakanson said. In order for the College to
protect its reputation as an institution, Hakanson
feels upgrades in both maintenance and equipment
are essential.
In past years, the College has postponed basic
maintenance in order to keep within budget restric­
tions. Also, due to technological changes, many of
the instructional programs are in need of equipment.
One thing the levy does not include is money for
new building, an area that concerns Hakanson.
“I think people are confused that this increase
will be used for building, but there is no money in
there for building,” the President said. “A lot of
people out there are having a hard time making it.
They are just getting by. It is not the time to ask for a
construction levy.”
At the beginning of the year, Hakanson said in
the his address to assembled staff that, “we (the
College) really do need to do some more building.”
He felt the College is pressed for space and that “the
problems are going to get worse before they get bet­
ter.”
Due to the rough economic times Hakanson’s
ideas have changed, but he knows several additions
need to be made. Above his concern for adding on to
the College is to maintain the current status.
“The current levy that we are functioning under
only called for a two percent increase, so we have not
been able to offer any new programs. And my per­
sonal belief is that not enough maintenance is done,”
Hakanson said.
A problem with a tax-based levy is the expected
increase is not always accurate to the actual increase.
This past year, the College Board projection was
$400,000 more than the actual revenue from taxes.
The result was a tight budget.
Hakanson thinks that if the Nov. 8 levy fails'at
the polls it will affect the morale at the College, even
though the Board will have a chahce in the spring to
pass another levy.
“It (the failure to pass the levy) will make it
more pressing to construct one that the voters will ac­
cept next time,” Hakanson said. “The morale will be
harder to keep up. Passing it would be a vote of con­
fidence on the part of the people.”
The failure of this levy would leave the Board up
in the air until the spring. Hakanson does not know
when they would propose another one—nor does he
want to.
“I don’t want to have to worry about proposing
another one until I have to,” Hakanson said. “I
think this one will pass because people like what the
College does. I wish it would cost less, but that’s out
of our hands.”
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