New Mexico State University employees brace for budget cuts

It’s not an easy topic to talk about: budget cuts. And NMSU employees will be hit the most starting in the fall.

As ABC-7 has reported, NMSU voted not to raise tuition for the upcoming school year. They’re now forced to cut nearly $10.7 million from the budget.

Possible cuts include:Reducing salaries for administrators who make over $100,000 a year, which University President Garrey Carruthers said Tuesdayis a done deal.

Some other cuts they’re considering:Eliminating retiree health coverage for new employees starting in July. Eliminating sick leave payout for all employees, and getting rid of the employee health care center, which tends to nearly 3,000 employees a year.

“It’s been a little stressful. So everybody trying to hang in there and find out what the final changes will be,”Sandy Katayanagi, with NMSU’s teaching academy said.

At least a hundred employees showed up to listen in on the budget situation. Many ABC-7 spoke say while they now feel informed, there’s still some concern.

“The employee health care clinic could be an issue because our people are the lowest paid people on campus, so a lot of people do go to the healthcare center because it’s cheaper,”Leilani Horton, a union representative for hourly employees said.”

“The employee health care center is a benefit that we offer but not required to offer but we’d like to do so,” Carruthers said. “Particularly if we can find another unit to run it for us and we think that’s possible.”

NMSU is taking comments and suggestions by May 1