Budget Info/Town Hall Dec 8.
November 18, 2008
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced that he was calling a special session of the California Legislature for the purpose of enacting mid-year changes to the 2008-09 budget.
Chancellor Kanter wrote to you last week regarding the particulars of the governor's current proposal for mid-year "corrections" to the budget in light of an estimated shortfall in state revenues of more than $11 billion. In addition to seeking more than $4.7 billion in tax increases, he has proposed more than $4.4 billion in reductions to state expenditures, including a significant cut in funding for the California Community Colleges. In addition to eliminating the small COLA of .68 percent he had earlier authorized, he has proposed a reduction to our base apportionment. The result, as Martha reported last week, would be a reduction of roughly $8 million to the current Foothill-De Anza budget.
In the week since the governor made his proposals for mid-year reductions, both district and campus leadership have been meeting in an effort to calculate our budget options, develop a budget strategy, and begin campus-based conversations that engage the widest range of voices and opinions. I have met with De Anza administrative, faculty and staff leadership over the past week and briefed College Council last Thursday on the budget situation.
I have asked each of the Instructional, Student Services and Educational Resources units to review their current budgets and begin discussions about our priorities and options. We will use our one-time balances to address any mid-year cuts, but need to take action in anticipation of next year. We have instituted a virtual freeze on hiring; every open and about-to-be-open position will be carefully reviewed, and we will proceed to hire only in cases in which the positions are absolutely critical. We have also put a hold on strategic initiative funds.
I invite everyone to a Town Hall meeting on the budget from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, in Campus Center Conference Rooms A&B. We will be joined by Chancellor Kanter and Vice Chancellor of Business Services Andy Dunn, as well as our own leadership team, to better detail the budget numbers, discuss the ways the state might act and when, and invite conversation about how to approach our budget choices. I look forward to seeing you there
We will weather this storm as we have in the past, with a deep commitment to our students and to our own community of faculty, staff and administrators.
Sincerely,
Brian Murphy