Comment on UMaine system chancellor says LePage budget would boost funding

AUGUSTA — The chancellor of the University of Maine System is calling on lawmakers to support increased funding for its schools in Gov. Paul LePage’s budget. Chancellor James Page addressed a joint session of the Legislature on Tuesday. He said LePage is proposing the biggest new investment that the system has seen in years. The system would get a 3.6 percent increase, which is $14.2 million, over two years. Page also addressed the system’s economic challenges, including a potential $75 million structural gap between now and 2019. Lawmakers also heard from Derek Langhauser, interim president of the Maine Community College System, and William Brennan, Maine Maritime Academy president. LePage is proposing to flat-fund the community colleges.