Money Going the Happy Way

CATSKILL - Everybody loves pie, particularly if it is a pie chart showing that we mules of taxation on this side of the Hudson River will be paying less toward the 2026/27 Columbia-Greene Community College budget.

That is sweet, although an equally appetizing story is that overall CGCC spending will be plunging by over $1.33 million due to multiple in-house administrative changes as well as purse string tightening.

CGCC’s bottom line will decrease from $19,793,532 to $18,462,326, a significant financial turnaround reflecting $18,486,126 in anticipated revenues, topping predicted costs by $23,800, the budget shows.

Lawmakers, during an August 5 County Resources committee meeting, got a breakdown of the proposed spending plan from Dr. Bryant Morgan, later setting a public hearing for August 19 to vote aye or nay.

Dr. Morgan is the interim chief fiscal officer and vice-president for Finance and Administration at CGCC, keeping at least one legislator spellbound about the vagaries of Fund Balance during his presentation.

Budget talks can be yawners at best and too long at worst but Dr. Morgan’s was neither, informing lawmakers that Greene County’s contribution to the college will be dropping slightly.

Greene and Columbia counties annually pay a “Sponsor Share” of the total CGCC financial package, dividing the cost factored on their percentage of the twin-county based student population.

While students' ratios ebb and flow, the dollar amount has been steady over the past seven budget cycles, staying at $6,448,350 with Greene County ponying up $3,014,229 this year, budget figures show.

That is $35,588 less than a year ago, with Columbia County’s portion, $3,434,121, going up exactly the same.

Both figures are based on a 3-year average of students rather than actual head counts which were provided to lawmakers merely as a reference point, illustrating what would be a wider percentage gap.

Greene County, last year, was hit with an increase of $5,363, making legislature chairman Patrick Linger simultaneously sad and happy.

Linger conservatively rued the dollars and cents rise while academically liking that it also represented a jump in this-side of-the-river enrollees.

“We’re paying more but that means we have more students making the commitment which is very good news,” Linger said then.

Lawmakers have established a “Greene County Cares Fund” to assist students with college-related expenses, such as tuition, travel, etc.

Money not spent in one year rolls over to the next, working with recent high school graduates, non-traditional students and adult learners seeking to improve their lives by earning a degree or a certificate.

Greene County dedicates $100,000 annually to the program, administered by the CGCC Foundation which provides quarterly updates and a yearly report to lawmakers detailing distribution of the funds.

So while it is always pleasant to save a few thousand bucks it remains, “a double-edged sword,” Linger says. “I’m pleased that we will now pay less but disappointed our percentage of students is going down.

“We wonder why that is happening. Is it because some of the course work being offered needs to change, offering courses our students want?

“I don’t mind paying more if we can keep our people here. We are in dire straits to get people to work here, stay here. That’s a much bigger issue than a few thousand dollars,” Linger said.

Dr. Morgan, in a followup phone interview on the subject of programming said, “we try to be sensitive to the needs of people in this area in developing new programs.

“One of the things we are more aware of is the changing demographic of students. There is a shrinking number of traditional-age students.

“There are greater numbers of people in both counties who are needing certain credentials to complete their degree or advance in their careers. The entire SUNY system is aware of this trend,” Dr. Morgan said.

Dr. Morgan went over each page of the spending plan with lawmakers, also covering topics such as Fund Balance and chargebacks, light-heartedly saying, “if you lose interest or your eyes glaze over I will understand.”

It was quite the opposite for legislator Michael Bulich (District 1, Catskill) who praised Dr. Morgan for his stated commitment by the college to alleviate the use of Fund Balance to offset expenses.

There had been a period of four straight years during which CGCC drew heavily on reserves to support operations, reversing that in 2026/27 by filling the piggy bank with the aforementioned 23-plus G’s.

“I can’t stress enough, you stopping the bleeding on Fund Balance,” Bulich said. “Thank you for that. I hope more surplus can be added going forward.”

In a followup phone interview, Bulich said, “without a doubt they have been using a large amount of fund balance instead of making tough decisions” related to personnel, payroll, etc.

Dr. Morgan, in the followup phone interview said, “we are being attentive to exercising discipline in preserving fund balance.”

Bulich also responded to data given by Dr. Morgan on chargebacks, dollars CGGC pays for students attending schools outside the twin counties.

CGCC receives chargebacks for students coming here from elsewhere, but greenbacks go out to the tune of between $600,00 to $700,000 yearly.

The legislature is deeply dialed in on chargebacks, opting to pick up the full tab previously absorbed by individual towns.