Gov. James Thompson will address higher education budget recommendations for fiscal year 1989 Tuesday at a joint meeting of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the State Board of Higher Education in Chicago.

A $1.8 million budget for higher education operations and grants was adopted by the IBHE Jan. 5. These recommendations were presented to Thompson and the Illinois General Assembly, who will consider them in the spring legislative session.

Although the budget recommendations represent a 16.7 percent increase over last year, they cannot be funded without a tax increase, IBHE Executive Director Richard Wagner said.

NIU President John LaTourette said Tuesday’s address will be Thompson’s first response to the recommendations. He said Thompson presumably will leave the decision about an increased tax rate to the legislature.

A Jan. 24 Associated Press article stated Thompson will obtain support for a “moderate” state income tax increase from Illinois citizens before bringing his case to the General Assembly.

If a tax increase is approved, NIU will receive a 12.6 percent increase over FY88’s budget, Eddie Williams, vice president of finance and planning, said.

In a joint resolution, the IBHE and the State Board of Education, are urging Thompson and the General Assembly to “enact tax legislation to address the pressing financial needs of the state’s educational system,” the resolution stated.

“State appropriations for education in FY87 began a process of declining state commitment which culminated in FY88 with a reduction of more than $130 million for all levels of education,” the resolution stated.

Funding for FY89 is likely to result in further erosion of the state’s support for all educational levels if a tax increase is not implemented, the resolution stated.

In other matters, the boards will receive informational reports from three committees including the Joint Committee on Minority Student Achievement, the Blue Ribbon Committee on the Improvement of Teaching as a Profession and the Joint Task Force on Admission Requirements and Learning Outcomes.

The joint meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Consort Room of the Westin Hotel, N. Michigan and Delaware, Chicago.