The Lenoir Community College Board of Trustees and Lenoir County commissioners revisited an annual funding conversation.
The two groups met earlier this week to discuss the college’s allocated budget for next year after LCC closes out an underfunded year.
The college was allotted $2,235,000 for expenses projected to run $2,297,074 — a more than $62,000 deficit.
“Once again, we have operated as efficiently as possible,” LCC President Brantley Briley told commissioners, noting the college has used money for repairs that were the county’s responsibility. “We have been smart with the money and we’re still $62,074 in the hole.”
LCC President Brantley Briley put up another fight for additional funding, which will be a $2,601,430 total.
With the rise of insurance and utilities, Briley pleaded for $100,000 in capital expenditures from the commissioners. He said they shouldn’t think of the funding as an expense but an investment instead.
“Lenoir Community College is Lenoir County’s best hope for a prosperous economic future,” said Briley, who presented a PowerPoint presentation to the group. “The product (of the investment) is a better prepared workforce, and the return is taxpayers.”
He added, “I do think the commissioners understand it. I do know that they have a dilemma because they always have more request than they have dollars to allocate.”
Reuben Davis, commissioner’s chairman, said they would like to fund what’s necessary for LCC, but they’re isn’t enough.
“I think when you’re pushing to get your own budget, you want to make sure that everybody is being treated the same and nobody’s getting more than their fair share…,” Davis said. “But with the economic situation … and limited tax revenue, we’re in the throws of budget session. At this point, we don’t know how things will shape out.”
During the presentation, Briley expressed a concern for LCC being significantly underfunded compared to the 11 other regional campuses in the 58-school North Carolina Community College system.
For example, while LCC gets $4.89 per student, the state average is more than $8.
“Somewhere between $574,966 and $1.65 million is the amount that we are underfunded,” Briley said.
Commissioners sympathized with Briley.
“In a perfect world, we’d like for you to be the best-funded community college in North Carolina,” said Commissioner J. Mac Daughety. “We just don’t have the money to do it. It’s a great concern for me.”
Davis said Briley was cordial and not too pushy in his requests. He said the commissioners will go under advisement and make a decision.
“I made my best effort to present the picture as it really it,” Briley said. “I just have to trust that (the commissioners) will spend the time, do the research and make the good decision to fully fund the request.”
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-550-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.