{"id":104,"date":"2015-02-24T14:10:57","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T20:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/thecapstone\/?p=104"},"modified":"2015-02-24T14:15:48","modified_gmt":"2015-02-24T20:15:48","slug":"council-opposes-uww-budget-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/thecapstone\/2015\/02\/24\/council-opposes-uww-budget-cuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Council opposes UWW budget cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"OLYMPUS<\/a>

Stephanie Abbott<\/p><\/div>\n

By JAMES KATES <\/strong>\/ Capstone Managing Editor<\/p>\n

The Whitewater Common Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution decrying the effect of Gov. Scott Walker\u2019s proposed budget cuts on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.<\/p>\n

Walker proposes cutting $300 million from the UW System over the 2015-2017 biennium. UW-Whitewater would take a hit of $6.4 million to $8 million in each of those two years, said Councilmember Lynn Binnie, who co-sponsored the resolution with Councilmember Ken Kidd.<\/p>\n

UWW is a \u201csignificant driver of economic development\u201d and supports the \u201ccultural climate\u201d of Whitewater, Binnie said.<\/p>\n

Kidd acknowledged that the council has no official say over the state budget, which must be approved by the Legislature before taking effect July 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand that this is a symbolic gesture, but maybe if there are enough gestures of this type, we can reach critical mass,\u201d Kidd said.<\/p>\n

Councilmember Stephanie Abbott, who is active in Republican politics, expressed fears that the budget cuts would be a \u201chuge hit\u201d for the campus and said she hoped a more moderate approach would prevail.<\/p>\n

Abbott, a UW-Whitewater graduate, credited the university for \u201cmuch of what I am and have become.\u201d<\/p>\n

City Manager Cameron Clapper told the council that UW-Whitewater could \u201cin theory\u201d make up its budget shortfall by raising tuition $5,000 a year for all out-of-state students. UWW has a large number of students from Illinois.<\/p>\n

However, there would certainly be \u201ca drop in students coming from out of state\u201d if the university raised tuition drastically, Clapper said. Also, a freeze on in-state tuition is likely to continue, further squeezing the UWW budget.<\/p>\n

Regarding K-12 education, Clapper expressed disappointment that the budget would eliminate $150 per student in \u201ccategorical aid,\u201d resulting in a $290,000 hit for the Whitewater Unified School District in the coming school year.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Clapper told the council that Walker\u2019s budget would have less drastic effects on the city\u2019s finances. He expressed concern about a proposed moratorium on the state\u2019s stewardship grant program, which supports land purchases by government and improvements to parks and recreation areas.<\/p>\n

The budget would centralize property-tax assessment throughout the state by having assessments done by each county, rather than by cities, village and towns. Clapper said \u201copen book\u201d proceedings, which are informal reviews of disputed assessment values, still would be conducted locally.<\/p>\n

Clapper and Common Council President Patrick Singer were in Madison on Wednesday to lobby for a \u201cPartnership for Prosperity\u201d sponsored by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.<\/p>\n

Municipalities have been stressed by state-imposed levy limits designed to hold down property taxes. The league\u2019s plan calls for new state funding for job creation, levy limits indexed to inflation rather than just new construction, and increased transportation aids.<\/p>\n

In other action Tuesday, the council:<\/p>\n