CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Higher Education Chancellor Dr. Paul Hill says he’s hopeful the higher education funding cut in the new state budget is the last cut for the foreseeable future.
Dr. Hill said that’s what Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin indicated to him Tuesday morning when he signed the budget bill into law. The cut is .07 percent.
“That is far less than it might have been and certainly far less than the cuts we experienced in the ’14 and the ’15 budgets,” Hill said.
The chancellor applauded the legislature and governor for working out a compromise on higher education funding. The legislature restored some of the cuts the governor originally proposed. Tomblin cut some of those proposals with his line-item veto power but short of what he originally proposed. Hill said the colleges and universities got their messages across.
“The legislature heard from all of us in higher education and certainly the governor has been sensitive to it all along, not desirous of making these cuts, but given the state’s financial condition we’re grateful with how these cuts turned out,” Hill said.
Budget adjustments will vary per campus. Hill said it’s some attrition in positions, reduction in services and in some cases, very serious work on utility costs through energy savings.
“Some of these things have been very good for our campuses,” Hill said.
The new budget year begins July 1.