Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Columbia-Greene Community College’s proposed 2022-23 budget has now been approved by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors and the Greene County Legislature. Elected officials in both counties have given the green light to their respective portions of the $19,128,307 spending plan. Columbia County will contribute $3.55 million, an increase of $206,333 over the previous year, while Greene will pay $2,90 million, a decrease of $206,333 from its 2021-22 contribution. The Greene County Legislature unanimously adopted the budget on August 17, a week after the Columbia County board voted its approval on August 10. “We like the fact of having a community college in our community because it provides a valuable service to our youth and adults who want to further their careers,” Board of Supervisors Chair Matt Murell said. Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said the county considers it a priority to invest in the counties’ shared college. “It’s a partnership because we’re two of the few counties that share a community college,” he said. “The ability to provide higher education to our students as they graduate from high school or to in-service people is vital. ..." The spending plan reflects a 10 percent increase in overall spending, and an increase in tuition, from $2,484 to $2,556 per semester for in-state residents enrolled as full-time students. The two-year college is supported by tuition, state aid, support from both Greene and Columbia counties, and, this year, just under $1.5 million from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, part of the federal CARES Act. “Columbia-Greene extends deep gratitude for the steadfast financial support received from Columbia and Greene counties,” Columbia-Greene Community College President Carlee Drummer said in a statement last week. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.