Washtenaw Community College's funding took a major step toward being secured for another decade.

Washtenaw County voters approved the college's operating millage renewal on Tuesday, Aug. 4, with 72.07% support, according to unofficial results from the county Board of Canvassers. The 10-year levy, set at 0.85 mill, will raise an estimated $21.9 million in its first year when it takes effect in 2027.

The margin wasn't close. Of 116,112 ballots cast countywide, 77,944 voted yes and 30,213 voted no.

The vote keeps intact roughly half of WCC's operating budget. Voter-approved millages fund about 50% of the college's operations, according to the ballot fact sheet, while tuition and fees cover just 24%. Without the renewal, WCC would have faced a funding cliff when the current levy, first approved in 2016, expires after the 2026 tax year.

For the more than 25,000 students WCC serves each year, including Ann Arbor residents, the result helps preserve access to Michigan's lowest in-district tuition at $99 per credit hour. The college is also the top transfer school to the University of Michigan and the No. 1 college choice for Washtenaw County high school graduates, according to WCC's announcement of the results.

WCC President Rose B. Bellanca called the vote "an investment in our students, our employers and the future of our community."

What it costs homeowners

The renewed levy restores 0.0391 mill lost through Headlee Amendment rollbacks, bringing the total back to the originally authorized 0.85 mill. For a homeowner with $100,000 in taxable value, that works out to about $85 per year.

Still one more vote to go

The Aug. 4 results remain unofficial until certified by the Board of Canvassers. Under Michigan law, the proposal will also appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election ballot for a second vote, according to the Michigan Daily.

What's next for students

WCC is launching four new programs this fall in Early Childhood Administration, Paralegal Studies, Public Policy and Artificial Intelligence Applications. Fall classes begin Monday, Aug. 31, with additional start dates on Sept. 23, Oct. 7 and Oct. 23. Students can register at wccnet.edu/enroll.