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An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending and supplementing the Allegheny County Code of Ordinances, Division 4, entitled "Finances," through the creation of a new Chapter 491, entitled "Community College of Allegheny County Appropriations," in order to provide a mechanism for adjusting the County's annual budgetary appropriation to the Community College of Allegheny County in order to keep pace with rising inflationary costs.
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WHEREAS, since its opening in September 1966, the mission of the Community College of Allegheny County has been to provide affordable access to quality education, and offer a dynamic, diverse and supportive learning environment that prepares the region's residents for academic, professional, and personal success in our changing global society; and
WHEREAS, the College lists one of its enduring goals as "...maintain[ing] affordability and promot[ing] student learning by effective use and allocation of human, physical, technological and fiscal resources"; and
WHEREAS, increasing costs and an environment in which funding has become more difficult to secure has rendered it increasingly difficult for the College to maintaining its service levels while ensuring that as many individuals as possible have access to those services; and
WHEREAS, student tuitions at the Community College can pay for no more than one third of the College's annual operating costs, pursuant to the terms of the Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949, 24 P.S. §19-1908-A; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County, as the sponsor of the Community College of Allegheny County, was obligated to create a financial management plan for the College, under which the County must appropriate or provide funding equal to the College's total operating costs, less student tuition revenues and reimbursements provided by the Commonwealth, pursuant to the terms of the Public School Code, 24 P.S. §19-1903-A(a); and
WHEREAS, while the County provides funding for the operation of the College through a general appropriation each year, the amount of this general appropriation has increased from $21.3 million in 2004 to $21.9 million in 2009, an increase of only 2.8% in six budget years;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enacts as follows:
SECTION 1. Amendment of the Code
The Allegheny County Code of Ordinances, Division 4, entitled "Finances," is hereby amended and supplemented through the creation of a new Chapter 491, entitled "Community College of Allegheny County Appropriations," and consisting of the following provisions:
Chapter 491
Community College of Allegheny County Appropriations
§491-01. Community College of Allegheny County Appropriations.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2011 and in each fiscal year thereafter, Allegheny County Council shall, in the course of adopting each annual operating budget, appropriate a sum for the operations of the Community College of Allegheny County that is at least equal to the appropriation for the prior fiscal year plus two percent (2%).
§491-02. Community College of Allegheny County Appropriations, Review.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2012 and every two years thereafter, Allegheny County Council shall, in the course of adopting each annual operating budget, review and evaluate the uses to which the College has put prior years' appropriations and the fiscal impact of such appropriations on the County.
SECTION 2. Severability
If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance which shall be in full force and effect.
PRIMARY SPONSOR: COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON
CO-SPONSOR: COUNCIL MEMBERS FITZGERALD, MACEY, FINNERTY,
FUTULES, DEFAZIO, ELLENBOGEN & MCCULLOUGH