ASUM to weigh in on six-mill bill

The ASUM senate is pushing to inform students about the six-mill levy, a referendum that could give the University of Montana $13 million a year through a property tax that applies to the entire state. 

The levy has shown up on Montana ballots every 10 years since 1948 and has always passed. The money raised from the levy is divided among the eleven universities in Montana. 

Tyler Trevor, associate commissioner of higher education, said the amount of money raised varies each year, but UM receives a third of these funds.

At their first meeting of the year, the ASUM Relations and Affairs Committee passed a resolution stating that the ASUM senate will formally endorse the six-mill levy. The resolution will be taken to the entire ASUM senate Wednesday night for a vote.

Hunter authored the six-mill levy resolution. It states that “ASUM supports, endorses and urges University of Montana students to vote ‘Yes’ on LR-118: The Six Mill Levy.”
Hunter said he hopes ASUM’s endorsement will get students’ ballot.

“It’s more a call to action than just an endorsement,” he said. 

ASUM senator Andrew Dusek, chair of the Relations and Affairs committee, said it’s important to get as much student support for the levy as possible. 
“With ASUM standing firmly behind it, I think students can see our commitment to them,” he said. “I hope they will, in turn, support it as well.”

On Sept. 10, ASUM will hold a rally in the oval at noon to provide students with information about the six-mill levy.  Sheila Stearns, commissioner of higher education and former congressman Pat Williams are scheduled to speak at the event.

While the levy has never failed in the past, UM Vice President Jim Foley said that increased voter turnout this presidential election year provides the university with less assurance that the levy will pass.

“We earnestly support it,” he said, “and we hope it will pass. But there are no guarantees in any election.”

State representative Scott Sales voted to put the levy back on the ballot, as it has been every 10 years. He also wrote a rebuttal argument in opposition of the six-mill levy because it’s important for people to have information on both sides, he said.

While Sales said he is not necessarily opposed to the levy, he does think that universities could spend the money they receive in different ways.
“I think the university system is trying to do too much in terms of what its scope is,” he said. 

Universities are focusing less on students and more on obtaining research scholars, he said. He would prefer a system in which universities take the money they receive from the six- mill levy to create grants for students who meet certain qualifications so they can attend the Montana school of their choice.

ASUM senator Svein Newman stresses that if the levy doesn’t pass, there will be a “massive shortfall” of money for the university.
“It’s overwhelmingly necessary that this passes,” he said.

Trevor said that if the levy is rejected, it is quite possible tuition could increase for students. But he is confident it will pass.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the people of Montana support higher education,” he said.