Eleanore Blair

The board convened to discuss the employment contract for the college president, including holding an executive session to address personnel matters. A formal motion was passed to authorize the consultant to extend an employment offer to the first-ranked candidate for the college president position.

The board held a special meeting to conduct interviews for the position of College President. The meeting consisted primarily of an executive session for the purpose of interviewing four candidates: Dr. Joshua Baker, Dr. Morgan Phillips, Dr. Christin Holliday, and Ms. Clarissa Cota, JD. Following the interviews, the meeting was reconvened in public and subsequently adjourned with no further legal action taken.

The board discussed and received updates on faculty and staff council reports, the upcoming board elections, and the status of the presidential search. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the fiscal year 2027 primary property tax levy proposal. After several failed motions regarding different percentage increases, the board ultimately voted to propose a 3% increase and directed staff to schedule a Truth in Taxation hearing. Additionally, the board held an executive session regarding a presidential contract template and reviewed reports on the college's cohort default rates and state-level community college legislative updates.

The board held a public hearing regarding a proposed primary property tax increase. The discussion focused on the necessity of raising the tax rate to generate an additional levy of $880,484, equating to a 3% increase over the previous year. The board reviewed the impact of the proposed tax rate on property owners and moved to approve the property tax levy for the 2026-27 fiscal year by roll call vote.

The board meeting agenda focused on the discussion and potential action regarding the award of the College President employment contract. This process included an executive session to conduct interviews and deliberate on the candidate for the position, followed by a reconvened public meeting to take official action on the contract award.