Colleges Will Stay Sound

I read with interest Moorpark College speech instructor Charlene Arnold’s letter to The Times (Dec. 28). She poses a number of questions and comments on an article appearing in The Times on Dec. 14.

I serve as an elected trustee of the Ventura County Community College District. I was elected by the taxpaying citizens of the greater Conejo Valley to represent and protect their interests. I am sworn to uphold the financial integrity of our college district. Doing any less would certainly be a betrayal of the trust given me by my constituents.

The community college district is currently on a “watch list” with the state for having inadequate reserve funds. Moreover, the governing board recently approved authority for our staff to borrow funds to meet subsequent payrolls (in anticipation of tax receipts) because of a lack of reserve funds. I would ask Ms. Arnold if she would rather have the district renege on our contractual payroll obligations to her and her colleagues?

Concerning faculty and other staff compensation, I would maintain Ms. Arnold’s differences with me may be contractual. In fact, her major complaint may be with her bargaining unit, the American Federation of Teachers. The district’s management association, classified employees, as well as the faculty union, bargained and agreed to three-year agreements and contracts. Management agreed to a stipulated rate of salary increase for the three-year period. The classified employee union, likewise, agreed to this arrangement (in fact, our classified employees declined a contractual increase in salary this past year for the benefit of the entire district).

However, Ms. Arnold’s union did not agree to this arrangement. Under a reopener agreement in the AFT contract, negotiations are continuing for the 1991-1993 school years. Although it would be inappropriate for me to comment on an ongoing collective bargaining negotiation, I wish to assure my taxpaying constituency that our college district will remain financially sound during these financially troubling times. This is despite a request from the AFT for a 10% salary increase.

GREGORY P. COLE, D.D.S. President

Ventura County Community College

District Governing Board

Thousand Oaks