Photo credit: Midland College

What to watch: The Midland College Board of Trustees will meet Tuesday, Aug. 18, to consider the 2026-27 operating budget and a tax rate proposal that matches the no-new-revenue level. They will also weigh a $1.2 million campus surveillance system and a shortlist of ten construction firms competing for the Applied Technology Complex.

Key points:

  • Property tax rate, budget: Administration recommends the board propose the no-new-revenue rate, the level calculated to collect roughly the same revenue from existing property as last year. Taxes on new construction are not included in the no-new-revenue rate, so the college’s property tax revenue is likely to grow from last year.

The agenda packet lists the 2026-27 operating budget document as “to be provided at the meeting,” meaning the figures were not available in advance.

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  • Applied Technology Complex: Trustees may approve a list of ten firms qualified to serve as Construction Manager at Risk for the Applied Technology Complex, a delivery method that brings a contractor into the project during the design phase to help control costs and improve scheduling.

The college estimates the complex will cost between $47.4 million and $53.7 million to build, funded through oil and gas revenue rather than a new bond.

  • $1.2M surveillance system: Trustees may approve a $1.2 million purchase of a video surveillance system. The system includes approximately 260 various indoor and outdoor cameras along with ten viewing stations and ten-year software licenses, funded from the college’s current fund balance.

The purchase does not include network switches, installation services, or cabling, and college staff will present the items separately as the project moves forward.

  • State compliance: Trustees will receive two annual state compliance certifications. One under Senate Bill 17, the 2023 law that restricts DEI offices and programs at public higher-education institutions, and one under Senate Bill 18, the 2023 state tenure law.