Gov. Brewer signs GCC independence bills

Among the 33 bills signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer on Tuesday were SB1213 and SB1217, the independence and workforce money bills for Gila Community College.

“Community College District Alternative Formation” received strong support in Northern Gila County, and from GCC Board Member Tom Loeffler and Republican State Sen. Sylvia Allen.  Loeffler mobilized Rim Country residents to contact their elected state officials at several stages as the bills progressed.

While SB1213 allows the Gila Community College District to become independent from Eastern Arizona College at Thatcher, the GCC board could renegotiate its contract with EAC.  Eastern currently operates campuses in Payson, San Carlos and Globe under contract to the GCC district.

GCC is one of just two provisional community college districts in Arizona, which means it must contract with an accredited district like EAC and is ineligible for equalization funding for rural colleges.

GCC will now be allowed to seek approval from voters to become independent, at which time it would seek to become accredited – a process that could take several years.  As that process unfolds, GCC will still have to contract with EAC or another accredited community college district.

Loeffler and other supporters of independence believe a property tax increase will not be necessary for the first few years.