JWCC trustees approve flat tax rate

QUINCY — The John Wood Community College Board of Trustees voted to keep the college’s 2021 tax rate the same as 2020 during its regular meeting Wednesday.

JWCC is required to have the Board of Trustees adopt the Resolution and Certification the Truth in Taxation Act before passing of a tax levee.

JWCC’s 2021 proposed tax rate, excluding debt service, is estimated at $0.36975 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation of property in the College’s district.  The rate will result in an estimated $7,160,160 levy, which is $295,460 more than 2020 when the proposed rate was $0.37006 per $100 EAV. Funds from the 2021 levy will be distributed to the college in the 2022-23 fiscal year.  Final approval of the levy is scheduled for the December JWCC Board of Trustees’ meeting, where the total tax rate is expected to remain flat at $0.42400 per $100 EAV.

“The board continues to be sensitive to the taxpaying citizens of our district.  Our goal always is to be good stewards using a conservative fiscal approach with investments in strategic initiatives,” JWCC President Mike Elbe said in a press release. “These critical investments include the expansion of the JWCC Workforce Development Center with its grand opening scheduled for fall of 2023, and the Orr Corporation Multipurpose Agriculture Facility located in Baylis in late spring of 2022.

“We continue to make investments for workforce training in the areas of manufacturing, agriculture, transportation/logistics, health sciences and many other career technical programs. The college is expanding our career education programs, and these training programs all require physical space to conduct hands-on training.  Leveraging federal grant dollars and private funding is an excellent opportunity to provide in-demand programs and state-of-the-art facilities for this region to support the workforce needs of the area.”

In other business, the board:

• Authorized submission of a $5,000 grant application to United Way of Adams County on behalf of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program that supports seniors health and security.
• Accepted $108,686 in grant funds from the Illinois Community College Board for an institutional learning renewal plan.
• Accepted $24,500 in grant funds from the Illinois Green Economy Network for a LED bulb conversion project.
• Approved regular meeting dates of the John Wood Community College Board of Trustees for 2022.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees is set for 6 p.m. Dec. 15 at JWCC’s Quincy campus.