The Austin Community College Board of Trustees is nearing approval of a new budget for the next fiscal year. The proposal includes a balanced budget with a compensation increase structure to help ease the rising costs of living in Austin, officials said on Wednesday.
“ACC employees are being hit by inflation. We want to do what we can to hold on to our talented faculty and staff and help offset rising costs and alleviate the burdens of recent inflation,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC chancellor. “Our goal is to find a solution that balances our employees’ needs with the needs of our community and students.”
The administration is proposing to increase its compensation package from approximately $11 million last year to approximately $16 million this year, providing all employees a pay increase ranging from 5% to up to 15% depending upon their current salaries. The proposal is designed to ensure employees who have the lowest current salaries would see the largest percentage increase. More than half of the employees at ACC would receive a 7.5% increase or more.
Current Compensation Avg. Proposed Increase
Under $50,000/year 10-15% Increase
$50,000 – $99,999/year 10-5% Increase
$100,000+/year 5% Increase
Minimum wage: $15.66/hour $18/hour
“This proposal strikes an important balance of supporting our employees while maintaining low tuition and remaining good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” says Neil Vickers, ACC executive vice chancellor of Business and Administration. “We have spent many months hearing different circumstances and developing different compensation solutions. Our goal is to provide the largest lift to our lowest-paid employees. A 10 percent raise to every employee wouldn’t do that. This proposal lets us provide even more where it’s needed most, and all without putting the burden on students or taxpayers.”
In FY 2022, the college provided a 4% across-the-board compensation increase, $2.5 million in market adjustments for hundreds of non-faculty positions based on the results of a market study, and a $1,000 holiday bonus to all employees.
“We are proud to have a track record of providing raises to all employees over the years. As Trustees, we’re committed to exploring all the options that help us compensate our employees for the rising cost of living while supporting our students and remaining good stewards to our taxpayers” says Dr. Nan McRaven, ACC Board chair. “This board values and respects its employees, and we realize that our standard approach may not be enough during these uncertain financial times.”
Trustees are expected to approve the budget during its next regular board meeting on Monday, August 1, 2022.
