Berrien County GOP opposes Lake Michigan College millage renewals

BENTON TOWNSHIP, Mich.-- Two millages for Lake Michigan College (LMC) are set to expire at the end of 2026, meaning renewals for both are on the ballot in this November's municipal elections. However, the Berrien County GOP is publicly opposing these renewals. 

"No more. The gravy train is over," said Victory Woodall, Berrien GOP secretary. "We have to put a stop to this because people are losing their homes because they can't afford the latest millage that the public decided to pass. It needs to stop."

However, community colleges like LMC rely on such millages. 

"The college has been around since 1946," said Al Pscholka. "Millages have been renewed, traditionally, since the 1960s."

The idea of not renewing is absurd to Pscholka, LMC's vice president of enrollment, marketing, and government relations. 

"This is not a tax increase at all," Pscholka said. "This is an operating renewal, which freezes that rate for the next 20 years, and for the second one, we're asking voters to approve a tax cut."

Here's a breakdown of LMC's funding for its annual budget of about 44 million dollars:

• Tuition: 27%
• Property taxes: 51%
• State appropriations: 15%
• Private sources: 7%

One of the millage renewals for LMC is six-tenths of a mil for 20 years, which covers nearly 20 percent of overall funding.

"If the operating renewal is not passed, there would be major reductions, major cuts, major changes in programs," Pscholka said. 

The second is a capital millage renewal, meant for buildings and improvements, which is .24 of a mil for 10 years, half of the current rate of .48.

"As a lifelong Republican, I can confidently say hell has frozen over for the Republican Party to oppose a tax cut. We are proposing to reduce one of those millages from .48 to .24," Pscholka said. 

"I would say that's a clever play on words by Al Pscholka," Woodall said. "He is saying that it's a reduction, but he's still asking taxpayers to sign up for another 10 years of millage rates."

Woodall told ABC57's Annie Kate another major area of concern. 

"They're also giving in-state rates to out-of-state students," she said. 

Woodall argues taxpayers should not help subsidize out-of-state students. 

Annie Kate asked Pscholka about this, who said the school changed how it rates tuition about a year ago. 

"We have two tuition rates at Lake Michigan College," he explained. "The board decided to have a domestic rate and an international rate. Michigan, as you may know, is struggling to retain and attract people. We need to attract people here, we need to train them, and get them in our workforce. That's why we have the two tuition rates, and I can't believe that Berrien County Republicans are anti-business." 

Both millage renewals are on the ballot in the Nov. 4 municipal elections.