On Nov. 7, Bingham County citizens will make a business decision about whether to support a proposal to join the taxing district for the College of Eastern Idaho. As Chief Business Officer of Premier Technology, Inc., I contribute to making dozens of decisions every day that have a profound impact on our business. Because taxation should be a personal business decision, please allow me to present the three rules in order of priority that we follow when choices are made in our board room.

First and most importantly: Crunch the numbers.

Currently, Bingham County is not in a college district and so taxpayers here, under state law, are required to pay $126,400 less $70,000 allowance for state liquor dollars for resident students (approximately 126 of them) who attend any junior college in the state. Enrollment at the new CEI, as this article prints, shows an additional 96 Bingham County Students already enrolled.

Estimates are that with the opening of CEI the number of students would initially double to at least 250 and could be much higher based on student population and the locality. If that estimate is true, under current law and without joining the taxing district, the cost to Bingham County taxpayers would be $182,800 ($126,400 +126,400 -$70,000).

The math for joining the district based on the currently taxable market value in Bingham County and the proposed community college levy rate of $15 is $214,101 (($1,894,004,451 /100 X $15)-$70,000). This additional cost difference of $31,301 for just 250 students, represents less than a half of a penny tax per average household.

Second: Always negotiate from a position of power.

It is true that Bingham County taxpayers could decide to join the district sometime later when the mathematical difference, between the two tax alternatives with enrollment, absolutely tips in favor of joining. However, joining early has the advantage of additional board member seats and the ability to influence curriculum early in favor of programs that will be specific to the needs of businesses in our community, such as Premier Technology, who currently struggle to find people with the right education and special skills required to fill critical positions within our companies. The risk is that arithmetic could dramatically swing in the opposite direction in a short period of time with the power position lost.

Third: Are there other “soft” benefits that should weigh into the decision?

A more educated and skilled available workforce impacts the ability of companies like Premier Technology to grow and create higher paying jobs in the area. The new community college will provide a more affordable college education and less student debt, with tuition about one-third the cost of universities in the area. It will have an open-door admissions policy for high school graduates and offer remedial coursework to encourage students that otherwise would not attempt higher education goals. Other benefits include increased access to dual enrollment college classes during high school which give students a head start wherever they choose to attend college after graduation.

Premier Technology Inc. is whole-heartedly supportive of the proposal to be a part of the College of Eastern Idaho District and I invite and encourage everyone to join us by voting “Yes” on Nov. 7.

Douglas A. Sayer is the Chief Business Officer of Premier Technology, Inc.