By Ashley Fletcher Frampton
aframpton@scbiznews.com
Published March 3, 2010

Trident Technical College is a step closer to securing the $30 million it needs to construct a new nursing building. Charleston County Council decided Tuesday to raise taxes to generate $18 million for the project.

According to Trident Tech officials, local demand for nurses is greater than the school’s ability to train them, and the school has a long waiting list of students hoping to enroll in its nursing and allied health programs.

A new, 90,000-square-foot building would expand the school’s capacity in both programs.

Trident Tech is working with Dorchester and Berkeley counties in hopes of securing the rest of the needed $30 million, said Mary Thornley, president of the college.

She is asking Dorchester County for $4.5 million and Berkeley County for $7.5 million. The requests are based on the proportion of the school’s students who come from each county, she said.

Various financial challenges and regulations have led Trident Tech to ask for help from the counties instead of paying for the construction itself.

Among them is the school’s desire to direct a portion of tuition money now used for debt service to operations, after the debt is retired in the next few years.

That will help offset cuts in state funding and could be needed for repairs to existing facilities, according to information provided to County Council.

Because of state regulations, Trident Tech can raise its tuition by only $3, officials said.

Charleston County staff members recommended not borrowing the $18 million for the school because it would require a tax increase and constrain the county’s borrowing capacity. The county has cut millions of dollars from its budget in recent years to avoid a tax increase for operations.

The tax increase required for the county to borrow the $18 million is 0.6 mils, which is equivalent of $3.60 per year on a $150,000 home, school and county officials said.

Council Chairman Teddie Pryor said that’s about a penny a day for taxpayers, based on the $150,000 home scenario. He said it’s a worthwhile investment for putting more residents to work locally as nurses.

“You get what you pay for,” Pryor said.

Council members voted 6-2 on Tuesday in favor of the funding. Councilmen Dickie Schweers and Joe McKeown voted against it. Councilman Paul Thurmond was absent.

Thornley said the building would take three years to complete once the total funding is in place.