Opinion 97 - 22
This opinion
represents the views of the Office of the State Comptroller at the time it was rendered.
The opinion may no longer represent those views if, among other things, there have been
subsequent court cases or statutory amendments that bear on the issues discussed in the
opinion. |
BONDS AND NOTES -- Permissible Uses (financing by county of construction of community
college dormitory)
COMMUNITY COLLEGES -- Powers and Duties (financing
dormitory construction)
COUNTIES -- Powers and Duties (financing the cost
of community college dormitory)
EDUCATION LAW, §§6304, 6306: The county governing board, and not the county community
college board of trustees, may authorize the issuance of indebtedness to finance the cost
of construction of a dormitory for the county community college.
This is in reply to your letter concerning a proposal to build a dormitory for a community
college whose sole local sponsor is a county. You ask who, as between a community college
board of trustees and the county, may authorize the issuance of indebtedness to finance
the construction of a dormitory. For purposes of this opinion, we will discuss only powers
and duties of the college board of trustees and the county in this regard, and not those
of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York.
Any city, county, intermediate school district, school district approved by the State
University Trustees, or community college region approved by the State University
Trustees, may sponsor or participate in the establishment or operation of a community
college (Education Law, §§6301[3], 6302[1]). A local sponsor, such as a county, acts
through its local legislative body or board when establishing or electing to participate
in the establishment or operation of a community college (Education Law, §6302[1][a]).
Each county community college, except in the City of New York, is administered by a board
of trustees of ten members (Education Law, §6306[1]; see Kuznetz v City of
Nassau, 229 AD2d 476, 645 NYS2d 520). Section 6306 of the Education Law sets forth
powers and duties of community college boards of trustees and county governing boards in
connection with county community colleges (see also 8[B] NYCRR §§604.1, 604.2). Among
other things, the board of trustees of a community college may acquire by deed, gift,
devise, bequest or lease, real or personal property suitable for carrying out the program
and purposes of the college (Education Law, §6306[4]). In addition, the board has the
care, custody, control and management of lands, grounds, buildings, facilities and
equipment used for purposes of the college and all other property belonging to the college
and used for carrying out its purposes, and has the power to protect, preserve and improve
such property (id.; 8[B] NYCRR §604.2[5]).
No lands, grounds, buildings, facilities or
equipment may be purchased or leased by the college board of trustees, however, unless an
appropriation has been made by the local sponsor or sponsors or unless otherwise
authorized by law (Education Law, §6306[4]). In addition, title to real property acquired
by the board of trustees for the college shall vest in and be held by the local sponsor or
sponsors in trust for the uses and purposes of the college (id.). The budget of the
county community college, including the capital budget, is subject to the approval of the
county governing board ( Education Law, §6306[2]; 8[B] NYCRR §§600.2[a], 603.3), and
contracts of the college, including capital construction contracts, are subject to county
governing board approval (Education Law, §6306[7]; La Corte v County of
Rensselaer, 80 NY2d 232, 590 NYS2d 26).
There is nothing in section 6306 or any other
provision of law which authorizes a county community college board of trustees to issue
indebtedness to finance construction of a dormitory. Rather, the local sponsor of the county community college
is responsible for providing local financing and is expressly authorized to issue bonds or
notes pursuant to the Local Finance Law to finance the college's capital costs (Education
Law, §6304 [1][c],[10][a]; see also Public Authorities Law, §1680; 8[B] NYCRR
§§600.2[a], 603.1). Therefore, the county governing board may authorize the issuance of
indebtedness to finance capital projects of the community college as proper county
purposes (Grimm v County of Rensselaer, 4 NY2d 416, 176 NYS2d 271; Local
Finance Law, §§2.00[4][a], 30.00; County Law, §150-a).
Accordingly, it is our opinion that the county governing board, and not the county
community college board of trustees, may authorize the issuance of indebtedness to finance
the cost of construction of a dormitory.
December 4, 1997
Ira J. Cohen, Esq., County Attorney
County of Sullivan |