The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

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March 20, 2010

Local officials view possible cuts at college with concern

Charles Oliver Dalton Daily Citizen

DALTON — Dalton State College plays a big part in plans by local leaders to grow and diversify the area’s economy, so they are viewing proposed cuts to the college with some concern.

“Cutting support for education is not going to help either our community or the state,” said John Neal, chairman of Grow Greater Dalton, a coalition of public and private institutions aimed at fostering economic development.

Former Dalton City Council member Charlie Bethel said that in the short term, the budget cuts could mean more job losses in an area already facing 13.1 percent unemployment, the highest of any metro area in the state.

But he says the longer-term impact may be an even bigger blow to the community.

“We’d lose the momentum Dalton State has built. That feeds our future employment base. That feeds our future economic development,” he said. “When you scale it back, it not the sort of thing you can turn back on at full speed when things get better again. You have to build back up and work back up.”

Bethel said he understands the state and the university system have to cut spending. But he says he hopes they simply don’t cut spending across the board.

“That is not the way to look at this. My alma mater is the University of Georgia, and I don’t want to see it hurt,” he said. “But when you look at the map and Clark County is doing better than about any county in the state through all of this, I can’t help but think they might be able to bear a little bit more.”

Dalton Mayor David Pennington also said he understands the state’s need to close its budget deficit.

“I have no issue with having to cut spending. I’ve done a little bit of that myself,” Pennington said. “Where I have an issue, and I’ve sent a letter to the chancellor concerning this, is that Dalton State College has the lowest tuition of any college in the state of Georgia. And they give the college no authority to raise tuition.”

Pennington said officials at each of the state’s colleges know their markets better than the Board of Regents, and those colleges should be given more flexibility to set tuition and to determine what the college looks like and what programs it offers.

What will the cuts mean for Dalton’s efforts to get some of the college’s programs downtown and have some sort of campus there?

“I don’t think it will diminish that movement. It’s vital to have a growing and dynamic city center, and that’s something campus life will bring, so we’ll continue to pursue it,” Bethel said. “That’s something that is a long-term project in any event. And we are only in the early stages of that effort”

Bethel said the city is also continuing to build a relationship with the Savannah College of Art and Design. City officials hope to bring a satellite campus to Dalton. But again, he said that’s a long-term effort they’ve only just begun.

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