Dist. 2 citizens urged to support independent GCC

To residents in Gila County District 2:

Please contact your Gila County Supervisor Mike Pastor and ask him to support a Formal Resolution by the Board of Supervisors in support of Independence for Gila Community College (GCC). Below find five "talking points" that would be benefits as the result of Gila Community College becoming independent. Please include your favorite "talking points" when communicating to Mike Pastor. Please phone or e-mail him at 928-402-8753 mpastor@co.Gila.AZ.us

Also, please forward this request to others in your neighborhoods of District 2, south of Frontier St. to the Forest/Tribal land, east from Arizona Hwy 87 to the Rim Club. We supporters of Gila Community College Independence THANK YOU for your efforts!

GILA COMMUNITY COLLEGE INDEPENDENCE
TALKING POINTS

KEEPING OUR TAX MONEY IN GILA CO.
Currently the college budget is $6.1 million. Of that $6.1 million, approximately $2.6 million comes back into the county as salaries etc. The remaining $3.5 million leaves the county and does not come back. That is $3.5 million of our taxes that goes to other counties and is used to support their economic growth. KEEP OUR TAXES IN OUR COUNTY.

PROVIDE SKILLED WORKFORCE
An independent college will allow for focusing courses on needed skills to attract business investments that create jobs and taxes for local communities.  Our college can work with prospective businesses to provide training for future employees. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

INVESTMENT IN ECONOMIC GROWTH
The cost of providing effective education and providing economic growth could be reduced by achieving independence. As an independent college we could take over more and more of the administrative duties and reduce the current overhead we now pay. The elected board would gain control over the budget and insure the best value for the money spent. MORE COST EFFECTIVE EDUCATION.

DEVELOP BUDGET AND BUSINESS PLAN
As an independent college our first hire would be a financial director to get a handle on our finances. The current college board requires a detailed budget along with a multi-year business plan to develop the most cost effective, yet educationally superior community college. Voters deserve the most for their tax dollars. BETTER FINANCIAL PLANNING.

NO INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES
If we move in a controlled fashion and add positions and functions as funds allow, we can increase the staff needed to function independently without raising property taxes.  With the increase in student enrollment and the normal inflation of the tax levy we can add two to four positions per year for the next four years after we achieve independence. NO NEW TAXES.

GCC Board Member Tom Loeffler will speak at 5:30 p.m. at the Jan. 26 meeting of the Optimist Club at Crosswinds Restaurant.  The public is invited to learn more about an independent Gila Community College.