OC tax rate likely to go up

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The Odessa College Board of Trustees recommended a higher tax rate for 2021 during its meeting Tuesday.
The rate was not adopted yet. Two public hearings will be held and the rate adopted in September. The total tax rate will be $0.201723 per $100 valuation.
The current tax rate is $0.188965 per $100 valuation.
Supplemental agenda material showed a public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 in Room 128 of the Saulsbury Campus Center. A second public hearing will be held at noon Sept. 14 in Room 128 of the Saulsbury Campus Center.
Adoption will be at the regular board meeting Sept. 28.
Trustees approved a budget of $74,588,865 at their meeting earlier this month. This includes $53,223,726 in unrestricted funds and $21,365,139 in restricted funds.
The board also approved making Janice Hicks as vie president of institutional effectiveness.
She had been associate vice president for institutional effectiveness.
The board congratulated Hicks with a standing ovation. She thanked everyone for believing in her and thanked her family for being on hand virtually for the announcement.
The board approved the execution of a tax abatement agreement with Nacero Texas 1 LLC, which plans to build a $6.5-$7 billion natural gas processing and production facility at Penwell.
The panel also approved an interlocal agreement for a Joint Task Force Committee of School District, Hospital District, College District, county and city.
Board Chair Gary Johnson volunteered to serve and President Gregory Williams will be on the panel as well.
The law requires that after each census, governmental bodies review the census dat and determine if they need to redraw boundary lines for their various election precincts.
Cruz Castillo, president of JSA Architects, gave an overview of the OC master plan as part of a Vision 2030+ update.
Some of the items in the plans are a new academic building, 200-car parking garage, a 1,200-1,300 seat performing arts center, a new student housing and dining hall and a new administration building in the same place as the current structure, but elevated.