DEARBORN — During the last Dearborn School Board of Trustees meeting, a millage renewal was approved, in a 5-1 vote, to include on the November ballot.  The decision will allow voters to decide on whether, or not, to approve a 3-mills renewal, along with a 1-mill increase, over the span of 10 years for Henry Ford Community College (HFCC).

The proposal is expected to generate an estimated $35 million for the college, which began its 2013-2014 fiscal year budget with a $16.6 million deficit. Absent from the meeting, was Trustee Hussein Berry. 

However, not all trustees were sold on the millage proposal. Trustee James Schoolmaster voted against the proposal, stating that he would like to see it cover a span of 3-5 years, instead of 10. Trustee Mary Lane had doubts about the proposal before it went to a vote, stating that the board did not give her enough time to evaluate the plan, as she would have liked to seek feedback from residents. She went on to vote in favor of the proposal, stating that she would do her best to support the College.

Newly elected HFCC president Stan Jensen said that the 10-year proposal is vital for the College, because it would, not only help them eliminate their current deficit, but would also generate some much-needed revenue. The College’s recent troubles have been well-documented. Layoffs, program cuts, tuition hikes and an amnesty program, to collect student debt, have cast a dark cloud over the College.

HFCC’s millage won’t be the only proposal on the ballot for Dearborn Public Schools this November. Residents will also have to decide whether they should renew a bond issue for the Dearborn Public Schools, which is governed by the same board. The board says that the proposal is also detrimental to Dearborn’s schools and will help fund building repairs.