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<br />DRAFT <br /> <br />f:attorney\reswork\current\Governor's Veto Actions Res <br />August 6, 2007 <br /> <br />RESOLUTION NO. <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, <br />TEXAS, IN RESPONSE TO GOVERNOR'S VETO OF CERTAIN FUNDING <br />FOR PARIS JUNIOR COLLEGE AND OTHER STATE COMMUNITY <br />COLLEGES AND COMMENTS MADE BY GOVERNOR PERRY ABOUT <br />COMMUNITY COLLEGE REQUEST FOR FUNDING; MAKING OTHER <br />FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; AND <br />DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Paris Junior College and the other forty-nine Texas community college districts <br />enroll over 50 percent of public higher education students; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Paris Junior College serves as the primary trainer and re-trainer of people in <br />Paris and Lamar County entering and becoming successful in the area workforce; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Paris Junior College has continued to increase higher education opportunities <br />and workforce training programs for our region which has led to consistent enrollment growth; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Paris Junior College has grown and contributed significantly to the State's <br />Closing the Gaps goals; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Paris has reviewed Governor Perry's press <br />statements and proclamations regarding the veto action, including disparaging language suggesting <br />that Paris Junior College and other Texas community colleges have submitted legislative requests <br />that are "fraudulent" in nature; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, we as responsible citizens representing the City of Paris object to the <br />Governor's budget cuts and to the language used which undermines the public trust of our <br />community colleges statewide; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the Governor has failed to act upon the original agreement when community <br />college districts were established for Texas, and the funding formula established for instruction costs <br />to be paid by the State, and construction and operation costs would be paid for by the local college <br />districts through tuition, fees, and taxes; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the fiscal impact of the vetoed funding for health benefits in the amount of <br />$154,000,000, and of the veto of new campus funding to Paris Junior College and other colleges <br />around the state will be devastating; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, college officials will either have to raise tuition for students, reduce services <br />