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CCU Seeks Help for Maintenance, Science Program: Department Outgrows U.S. Average

Posted on: Sunday, 29 January 2006, 12:00 CST

By Zane Wilson, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Jan. 29--COLUMBIA -- Coastal Carolina University is asking for a one-time infusion of $4.2 million for equipment and expansion in its science program.

The college, which made its pitch Wednesday to a House budget committee, also wants $3 million for overdue maintenance, of a total of $10 million in maintenance needs. And as it has for several years, CCU is asking for $45 million in a state bond bill for part of the costs of a new science building.

No action was taken on the budget request to the Higher Education Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee. The panel will work on recommended allocations for the state budget after it hears from all the colleges and museums with budgets it oversees. CCU tries every year for more equity in funding. Despite growth, it is on the bottom rung of state college funding because of a formula unchanged in years. The school grew 64 percent since 2000. It received $11.7 million from the state this year, 16 percent less than the $13.9 million it received in 2000. The state funds were 12.3 percent of CCU's budget, the lowest share of the 11 state colleges. The governor's proposed budget seeks to cut Coastal's funding to 11 percent. CCU has 7,600 students, with 1,300 of them in the college's science program. The presentation to the subcommittee said that is about 1.5 times the national average. That is one reason CCU needs the extra money to beef up its programs, as well as fund the new science building. An off-campus warehouse was converted into new science classrooms several years ago to help meet the demand. Horry reception On Wednesday evening, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce along with Horry Schools, CCU and Horry-Georgetown Technical College will host a reception for legislators. It's a chance for the locals to lobby a little. This is the chamber's third annual reception for legislators. The first two featured beachy, vacation-type themes but this one will be different, Chamber President Brad Dean said. "We wanted to turn this more into a community event," Dean said. "We didn't want it to be just the chamber." The theme is business, education and how the two work together in Horry County and have needs that legislators can help with. "Education is so critical right now to this area," Dean said. "We want to remind them that the Grand Strand has a lot of needs." The event is designed to be "fun and entertainment," Dean said, so it also features local TV celebrity Nancy O'Dell. The hosts hope O'Dell's presence will draw a big crowd of legislators, though the two previous receptions have brought in all but a few of the representatives and senators. To help boost the excitement, a resolution proclaiming Wednesday "Nancy O'Dell Day" was rushed through the House and Senate, and Gov. Mark Sanford is expected to present her the resolution earlier Wednesday. Doctor of the day Gerald Harmon, a DeBordieu resident who practices at Pawleys Island, served as doctor of the day in the Capitol on Tuesday. Harmon has served a day for many years. Doctors volunteer to be on hand each day of the legislative session to assist legislators, staffers, tourists or whomever needs help. Fire equipment A bill passed last week allowing Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District to use impact fees to build a storage facility for fire equipment. The legislative delegation has to agree on certain matters involving the fire district because it crosses county lines and is not under either of the county council's jurisdiction. This week

House and Senate committees will continue work on tax changes aimed at relief for homeowners. The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to take up its version Tuesday after a subcommittee advanced it last week. The House version proposes to substitute a 7 percent sales tax for all local property taxes on owner-occupied homes. The Senate is considering bills that relieve property taxes on school operating expenses only. State Rep. Tracy Edge, R- North Myrtle Beach, is a member of the subcommittee that reviewed the House bill. He said he got an amendment into it that should relieve concerns from Horry County and other high-growth areas. The change allows cities and counties to receive state reimbursements based on percentage of growth, and it does not limit increases to 6 percent. The House also will continue work on a bill aimed at preventing condemnation of property for private use. The measure includes a provision supported by Edge that local governments would have to pay for loss in value caused by zoning changes. "The bill is not anti-zoning," Edge said. The intent is "to make governments think about what they are doing to the property owner before they do it." Contact ZANE WILSON at 357-9188 or zwilson@thesunnews.com [mailto:zwilson@thesunnews.com].

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Source: The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

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