ESCANABA — Bay College employees heard an update on the college’s next steps after its operating millage proposal was denied by voters last week. President Laura Coleman spoke about the next step in the Besse Center Theater Monday afternoon.

“We got dealt quite a blow last week, didn’t we? We all worked really, really hard — I want to thank everybody who worked hard on the millage,” Coleman said.

A total of 1,758 voters (25.94 percent) supported the proposal in Delta County’s Nov. 5 election. However, 5,019 voters (74.06 percent) were against it.

According to Coleman, while people in the area support Bay, the result showed they were unwilling to put additional tax money towards the college.

“Taxes are just something that people are sick and tired of, and there’s been an awful lot of increases over the last few years in taxes and millages that have been passed,” she said.

Coleman said she knew some local residents felt the college had a large amount of money “stashed.” In response, she noted Bay’s composite financial index — a ratio that indicates colleges’ overall financial stability — had declined this year.

“We really don’t have money growing on a tree under this stage or anywhere else. We’re not hiding any money — there is no fluff in our budget,” she said.

She also alluded to the controversy that surrounded the millage request on Facebook.

“I am very, very sorry that you all have to deal with the Facebook junk that’s going on right now. That just shows us to be the microcosm of the political atmosphere in this country, and it’s not an easy thing for any of us to have to deal with,” she said.

Because of the millage’s defeat, Coleman said members of the senior leadership team and people reporting directly to team members will have to decide what to do next.

“What we’re going to do is we’re going to work very, very hard at determining how it is that we are going to be able to increase our revenues in order to be able to pay for the deferred maintenance that we are facing,” Coleman said.

The work is expected to take approximately three to six months.

Coleman noted the scope of Bay’s deferred maintenance project may be changed as a part of this.

“There are pieces and parts in that deferred maintenance that are things that we certainly wanted and we think are important, but we just probably aren’t going to be able to do,” she said.

She said the defeat of the millage request will have an impact on Bay’s timeline for the development of its next budget, as well.

“In the past few years, at the cabinet meeting, we have shared kind of a pre-draft budget. That’s not happening this year — there won’t be anything together at the end of November for that cabinet meeting,” Coleman said.

Coleman thanked the people working at Bay for what they have done for the college.

“Every person in this room needs to know that the board and myself appreciate and value every single thing that you do here,” she said.

She ended her speech by urging attendees to move forward.

“We all put on our big-person pants every day, and we come to work, and we make sure that we’re doing the very best that we can. Because we know — unequivocally — that the people in our community are the most important people that any of us can think about every day, and that we want all of them to have the education that they need and that they deserve,” Coleman said.

After Coleman’s remarks, Bay College Board of Trustees Chair Tom Butch also expressed his disappointment that the millage request was defeated and shared his gratitude towards Bay’s employees for their efforts.

“We are so grateful for what you do every day to improve the educational environment of Delta County,” he said.