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College
Bond Measure K By
Bridgette Perry |
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Measure K, the $236 million bond issue for Contra Costa Community College District renovations on Tuesday night failed to win the needed two-thirds majority for passage. More than 183,000 voters voted in favor of the measure, and nearly 107,000 opposed it. The measure feel three percentage points short of the 66 percent margin needed for victory after all the votes were tallied. Measure K was contentious, with opponents saying it was extravagant and wasteful and supporters arguing the money was desperately needed by the college district. Contra Costa's community college system was first established 50 years ago, but bonds have not been issued since then. Measure K supporters argued the college badly needed bond money to modernize. "Measure K gives voters the chance to support a valued county resource," said Robert Schroder, a retired Contra Costa County Supervisor and member of Citizens for Improved Community College Facilities. "If you can imagine the kind of work you'd have to do on your own house after 50 years, you can begin to understand what we face," said Schroeder. Supporters said that under Measure K property owners would only have to pay $8.60 per year for every $100,000 in assessed value on their property But opponents argued the college district has not been frugal in its spending and Measure K was excessive. Mike Arata, an industrial waste-treatment consultant and coordinator of Taxed Enough Already, a group organized to oppose Measure K, called the measure "extravagant." He pointed to the ballot pamphlet's fine print - the $8.60 per $100,000 assessed value is "based upon district projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the district." That potentially could mean bigger tax bills for property owners, Arata said. Arata also questioned how responsible the district has been in its spending. "CCCCD's chancellor is paid more than Gov. Davis….the district has not made every effort to manage resources wisely," said Arata. The college district includes five colleges: three main campuses at Diablo Valley College, Contra Costa College and Los Medanos College, along with Brentwood Center and San Ramon Valley Center. A total of 55,000 students are enrolled, both full-time and part-time. All Measure K funds are earmarked for facilities and maintenance and no funds would be used for employee salaries, benefits or equipment, according to Measure K ballot materials. Money could be used for computer lab renovations, electrical upgrades, plumbing repairs, and improvements required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The college system currently has about $300 million worth of facility and construction needs. Measure K also would require setting up a citizens' oversight committee to monitor the funds' use. This was the second time the Contra Costa Community College District's governing board had asked voters to fund construction costs. A $145 million bond measure on the ballot four years ago received majority support, but fell 1.4 percentage points short of the needed two-thirds approval. The Measure K bond would be paid off by 2040. The total cost to taxpayers would be about $581 million, when 40 years of interest payments to the bond holders are included.
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