Austin Community College's proposed budget would give all employees a raise. Is it enough?

Even with temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees in Central Texas, Sandie Smith often opts to go without air conditioning in their apartment because they can’t afford it. Instead, the science lab technician at Austin Community College’s Highland Campus uses a fan to keep cool. For Smith, there’s absolutely “no wiggle room” in their monthly budget, which has recently become even tighter with rising rent costs, food and gas prices. Even after making additional sacrifices to make ends meet, Smith said they’re not sure how they’re going to pay for an upcoming rent increase of about $250 a month for their apartment in Oak Hill. “I have to decide between food, gas and water. I want to run my air conditioning, which I cannot afford to do right now. I have been working with the fan instead of air conditioning, and even rationing how often I come into work. I've been having to take some leave on demand, because I can't afford gas,” Smith said. “It's been bad.”

Multiple ACC employees told the American-Statesman that, like Smith, they love working for the college but don’t make enough to keep up with the rising cost of living in the Austin area, leading some to urge the ACC Board of Trustees to increase wages beyond what is envisioned in next year’s budget. The board is expected to approve the college’s proposed budget for the 2022-23 academic year Aug. 1. The current proposal would provide ACC employees with a raise of either 5% or $5,000, whichever is more, and the minimum wage would increase from $15.60 an hour to $18. ACC has about 5,500 employees. Administrators at ACC said that the proposal prioritizes increasing the salaries of the lowest-paid employees and that they can’t afford to boost wages any further without increasing tuition, which they have not done for nine years. However, some employees are advocating a 10% wage increase for more employees because they’re worried that the proposed raises aren’t enough and could cause people to leave.