Rye, Harrison, and Rye Brook residents can weigh in on Westchester Community College's proposed $108 million budget for 2026-27 at a public hearing Monday, July 13, before the Board of Legislators' Budget & Appropriations Committee.
The hearing begins at the Michaelian Office Building, 148 Martine Ave., 8th Floor, White Plains. It will also be livestreamed at on Westchester County's website.
What's in the budget
The proposal projects $108 million in revenues against $107.9 million in expenses. Key details from a financial presentation WCC President Belinda Miles delivered to the committee on Monday, May 4:
- Personnel services account for nearly 90% of operating costs
- Utility costs continue to rise
- A separate $114.5 million capital program focused on infrastructure, safety, and sustainability is underway
- Annual tuition for 2026-27 is $6,018, the lowest in Westchester County, per the college's official social media (SUNY Purchase: $8,043; Mercy University: $24,480)
Enrollment and programs
The college has added 600 students through SUNY Reconnect, a state program for returning adult learners ages 25 to 55. Tuition revenue is exceeding projections for credit-bearing courses.
Other developments:
- A guaranteed transfer pathway agreement signed Friday, March 27, between WCC and SUNY Purchase gives students in programs including Computer Science and Environmental Science automatic admission to Purchase with junior standing, provided they earn a 2.0 GPA
- Transportation challenges remain a barrier to enrollment, Miles told the committee
- Extension centers continue to operate at a deficit
How to participate
Three resolutions are on the July 13 agenda:
- A formal public hearing on the budget
- Rules governing testimony
- A suspension-of-rules measure that could allow the committee to act the same night
No date for a final vote by the full Board of Legislators has been announced.
