EDITOR:

I encourage everyone to vote yes and support the Bay College millage on Nov. 5. As a long-standing board member and community member, I can discuss the excellent administrators, faculty, and staff that are all dedicated to student success daily. That said, I want to discuss why someone should vote for a tax increase to further support the college. Anyone who knows me is aware that I’m a fiscal conservative. I dislike taxes the same as most do. And, I dislike the idea of further increasing taxes. So why vote in favor of this?

I know it requires money to offer services. As the college’s infrastructure ages, costs to deliver services increases, and the state’s pro-rata share of the college’s revenue continues to decrease, we must turn to those of us who benefit from the college. Delta County is very fortunate to have Bay College as it provides numerous benefits to the residents of this community. It is not just the students paying tuition that benefit from the college. One of the college’s biggest missions is to play a vital role within the community. Daily, there are options afforded to community members. I could go into an exhaustive list but some things include: free tuition for senior citizens; free use of meeting spaces for non-profits; hosting art and theatre events (including a sold out Wizard of Oz play in November which added an additional performance that also sold out); our partnership with the YMCA; Restoring and maintaining athletics in order to retain student athletes within Delta County while bringing diversity to our community; a beautiful library which is available to all; and continuing education and workforce development opportunities for both public and private sector employers. The list can continue but the above are in addition to the affordable, high-quality, personalized education that is delivered with the biggest priority being student success.

I encourage all of you to think about how Bay College makes a difference in the community we live in as a whole not just to those who attend Bay College as students. I also encourage you to look for opportunities where you will benefit from the expansive list of opportunities the college offers. While I acknowledge any tax increase is one that is tough to swallow, this small increase is one that makes a big difference to our entire community, not just the students. For a mere $2.97/month for an $80,000 house, we can see Bay continue to deliver the best in being your Community College. Please vote yes on Nov. 5.

Eric Lundin

Bay College Board of Trustees