Without public comment, the Odessa College Board of Trustees approved the 2024 tax rate of $0.176887 per $100 valuation during their meeting Thursday night.
There were two public hearings previously and it was discussed in a board workshop.
This increases the effective tax rate by 2.20 percent, according to information from the meeting. This is not the rate it would be if a proposed $355 million bond passes Nov. 5.
The tax rate of $0.171666 last year for 2023 was a decrease of 9 percent from the 2022 tax rate of $0.188643, according to information from Odessa College.
The total budget for 2024-25 is $90,884,377.
On a separate item, Director of Permian Promise Roxanne Mitchell talked about the Wrangler Promise scholarship program.
Ranger Promise is a last-dollar-in scholarship that will cover the cost of tuition and fees. Mitchell said the opportunity is extended to all OC service area high school seniors.
It is also open to GED and home school students who live within the service area. They must have completed their credential during the academic year and be 17-19. They must apply to Odessa College, complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA and complete the Wrangler Promise pledge form.
The board also approved demolishing property at 214 W. University Blvd. to make way for a future pedestrian bridge across University Boulevard, said Ken Zartner, vice president of administrative services. He estimated the cost from $80,000 to $100,000.
The estimated cost of the bridge is $3.2 million, Zartner said. The estimated completion is summer 2025.
“We are very, very excited about it,” he added.
In his presidential report, President Gregory Williams said they have reached 4,000 followers on Twitter and now have a goal of 5,000.
The Positively OC Presidential Scholarship at Odessa College is a two-year scholarship that covers tuition and fees for ten students each year. The program was launched in 2022 and is based on the idea of spreading positivity and engaging with the community, according to the OC website.
