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Measure L School Bonds San Luis Obispo County Community College District 55% Approval Required
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Pass:
36,887 /
61.7% Yes votes ......
22,855 /
38.3% No votes
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Results as of Nov 4 11:17pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (165/165) 42.2% Voter Turnout (63,351 Total/150134) Includes 161/161 Precincts in San Luis Obispo County as of Nov 4 11:17pm Includes 4/4 Precincts in Monterey County as of November 19 6:09pm |
| Information shown below: Fiscal Impact | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement | Full Text | |||||
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CUESTA COLLEGE AFFORDABLE EDUCATION, JOB TRAINING/ CAMPUS REPAIR MEASURE. To repair, construct/acquire facilities, sites/equipment, prepare students/returning veterans for universities/good paying jobs, address severe budget cuts by updating aging classrooms, improving/maintaining nursing, paramedic, 9-1-1 medical training, welding, engineering, automotive, early childhood education/other career education programs, repairing deteriorating gas/electrical lines, upgrading technology, shall San Luis Obispo County Community College District issue $275,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, requiring citizens' oversight, independent audits, all funds used locally?
This bond measure has strict accountability requirements including (a) an independent Citizens' Oversight Committee with representation from throughout our region; (b) annual financial audits to make sure money is being spent as promised; (c) no money from this measure will go towards salaries or pensions, and (d) all money will stay local and cannot be taken by the State. 1. NO ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES. Proceeds from the sale of the bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, and not for any other purpose, including teacher, faculty and college administrator salaries, pensions and other operating expenses. 2. FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY. THE EXPENDITURE OF BOND MONEY ON THESE PROJECTS IS SUBJECT TO STRINGENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS. BY LAW, PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL AUDITS WILL BE PERFORMED ANNUALLY, AND ALL BOND EXPENDITURES WILL BE MONITORED BY AN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS' OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE SPENT AS PROMISED AND SPECIFIED. THE CITIZENS' OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MUST INCLUDE, AMONG OTHERS, REPRESENTATION OF A BONA FIDE TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION, A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND A SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANIZATION. NO DISTRICT EMPLOYEES OR VENDORS ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE ON THE CITIZENS' OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
The allocation of bond proceeds will be affected by the District's receipt of State matching funds and the final costs of each project. In the absence of State matching funds, which the District will aggressively pursue to reduce the District's share of the costs of the projects, the District will not be able to complete some of the projects listed above. Some projects may be undertaken as joint use projects in cooperation with other local public or non-profit agencies. The budget for each project is an estimate and may be affected by factors beyond the District's control. The final cost of each project will be determined as plans and construction documents are finalized, construction bids are received, construction contracts are awarded and projects are completed. Based on the final costs of each project, certain of the projects described above may be delayed or may not be completed. Demolition of existing facilities and reconstruction of facilities scheduled for repair and upgrade may occur, if the Board determines that such an approach would be more cost-effective in creating more enhanced and operationally efficient campuses. Necessary site preparation/restoration may occur in connection with new construction, renovation or remodeling, or installation or removal of relocatable classrooms, including ingress and egress, removing, replacing, or installing irrigation, utility lines, trees and landscaping, relocating fire access roads, and acquiring any necessary easements, licenses, or rights of way to the property. Proceeds of the bonds may be used to pay or reimburse the District for the cost of District staff when performing work on or necessary and incidental to bond projects. Bond proceeds shall only be expended for the specific purposes identified herein. The District shall create an account into which proceeds of the bonds shall be deposited and comply with the reporting requirements of Government Code § 53410.
On November 7, 2000, the voters of California passed "Proposition 39," amending Article XIIIA, section 1(b) of the California Constitution. That amendment authorizes the District to incur bonded indebtedness for the purpose of financing the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of community college school facilities, in accordance with certain accountability requirements. To implement the requirements of Proposition 39, the Legislature enacted the "Strict Accountability in Local School Construction Bond Act of 2000" (Educ. Code, § 15264, et seq.; hereafter referred to as "the School Bond Act"). If approved by 55% of the voters, this measure will authorize the District to issue up to $275 million in general obligation bonds, which will bear interest at a rate not to exceed the annual limit permitted by law. Bond proceeds will be used to fund the "Projects" identified in the full text of the measure. The District's Board of Trustees has evaluated safety, class size reduction, enrollment and information and computer technology infrastructure in developing the list of projects proposed in the measure, in accordance with the accountability requirements of Article XIIIA, section 1(b)(3) of the California Constitution. As required by law, the proceeds from the sale of the bonds will be used only for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, and not for any other purpose, including teacher, faculty, and administrator salaries, pensions and other operating expenses. Approval of the bond measure does not guarantee that any particular project will be funded. Principal and interest on the bonds will be payable from the proceeds of ad valorem taxes levied annually on taxable real property within the District. These taxes would be in addition to the property taxes currently levied on taxpayers within the District. The amount of the increased taxes each year would depend upon the amount needed to pay the principal and interest on the bonds. The District's Tax Rate Statement, which accompanies this analysis, reflects an estimate of the maximum property tax levies required to service the bonds. The actual tax rates may vary depending on the timing of sales, number of bonds sold at each sale, and increases in assessed valuations. Performance and financial audits must be performed annually to ensure that bond proceeds are spent only as specified in the measure, and an independent citizens' oversight committee will monitor expenditures and provide additional oversight. Under the School Bond Act, bond proceeds must be deposited in a separate account. As long as any bond proceeds remain unexpended, annual reports must be filed with the District's Board of Trustees stating the amount of bond proceeds received and expended in that year and the status of any project funded or to be funded from bond proceeds. s/ RITA L. NEAL County Counsel
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| Arguments For Measure L | Arguments Against Measure L |
| 51 Years! That's how long Cuesta College has been serving our community.
Whether it's training first responders, providing career training in fields like agriculture, welding, trades, construction, and early childhood education, or simply providing college transfer courses + keeping Cuesta College STRONG and AFFORDABLE for future generations is a must. YES on L maintains affordable, quality education and job training LOCALLY at Cuesta College! The fact is, with Universities becoming increasingly expensive, strong, affordable community colleges + like Cuesta College + are more important than ever! YES on L supports vital educational programs at Cuesta College by repairing and upgrading classrooms and educational facilities. Local job training programs help keeps our economy moving forward! YES on L maintains and improves Cuesta College job training programs in automotive technology, nursing, paramedic/9-1-1 emergency medical training, agriculture trades, early childhood education, law enforcement, welding, construction, engineering, technology and architecture, among others. Cuesta College is also where many of our area's 9-1-1 emergency first-responders are educated and trained. YES on L ensures Cuesta College can continue to play this vital role training paramedics, nurses, emergency medical responders and other healthcare professionals + keeping our communities healthy and safe. Our community has a strong tradition of patriotism and supporting our military and our veterans. YES on L ensures access for disabled students and improves support programs for veterans looking to re-enter the civilian workforce. YES on L includes tough accountability provisions required by law including published financial audits and an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee to monitor funds . NO Measure L money can be spent on administrators' salaries or pensions. NO Measure L funds can be taken by Sacramento! YES on L is supported by community leaders, business leaders, local employers, educators. To learn more, visit http://www.KeepCuestaStrong.com Dee Lacey Cattle Rancher / Board of Directors Heritage Oaks Bank & Cuesta College Foundation Matthew Lozano Iraq Veteran / Atascadero Resident Jim Brabeck 55 year County Resident / Cuesta College Alumnus / Local Businessman Kyle Parker Paramedic / Cuesta College Alumnus Jacqueline del Valle Vitti Frederick Nipomo Resident / Business Owner / Attorney
| No arguments against Measure L-14 were submitted.
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| Tax Rate Statement from Superintendent/President, San Luis Obispo County Community College District/Cuesta College |
| An election will be held in the San Luis Obispo County Community College District (the "District") on November 4, 2014, to authorize the sale of up to $275,000,000 in bonds of the District to finance facilities as described in the proposition. If the bonds are approved, the District expects to issue the Bonds in multiple series over time. Principal and interest on the bonds will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District. The following information is provided in compliance with Sections 9400 through 9404 of the California Elections Code.
1. The best estimate of the tax which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the first series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.01945 per $100 ($19.45 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2015-16. 2. The best estimate of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the last series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.01945 per $100 ($19.45 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2024-25. 3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.01945 per $100 ($19.45 per $100,000) of assessed valuation, which is projected to be the same in every fiscal year that the bonds remain outstanding. Voters should note that estimated tax rates are based on the ASSESSED VALUE of taxable property on the Counties' official tax rolls, not on the property's market value, which could be more or less than the assessed value. In addition, taxpayers eligible for a property tax exemption, such as the homeowner's exemption, will be taxed at a lower effective tax rate than described above. Certain taxpayers may also be eligible to postpone payment of taxes. Property owners should consult their own property tax bills and tax advisors to determine their property's assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions. Attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information is based upon the District's projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the District. The actual tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary from those presently estimated, due to variations from these estimates in the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold and market interest rates at the time of each sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds. The dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on need for construction funds and other factors. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold will depend on the bond market at the time of each sale. Actual future assessed valuation will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined by the respective County Assessors of San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties in the annual assessment and the equalization process. s/ Gilbert H. Stork, Ed.D. Superintendent/President San Luis Obispo County Community College District / Cuesta College |
| Full Text of Measure L |
| PROJECTS
The Board of Trustees of the San Luis Obispo County Community College District, to be responsive to the needs of its community, evaluated Cuesta College's urgent and critical facility needs, and its capacity to provide students, active military and Veterans with support facilities, an affordable education and prepare them for success in college and careers. Job training, safety issues, enrollment, class size reduction and class offerings, and information and computer technology infrastructure were each considered, in developing the scope of projects to be funded, as outlined in the District's Facilities Master Plan, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety (the "Master Plans"), and available for review on the District's website (http://www.cuesta.edu). In developing the scope of projects, the faculty, staff, students and community have prioritized local job training and job placement needs, particularly in automotive, technology, paramedic/911 emergency medical training, as well as facilities available to support an affordable education, so that the most critical needs that will make the Cuesta College an effective place for learning, would be addressed. In the course of developing the Master Plans, public input was received from hundreds of constituents. It was concluded that if these facility needs were not addressed now, the Cuesta College would be unable to remain competitive in preparing students for jobs in high demand industries and university transfer. The Board concluded that the longer they waited to repair and upgrade Cuesta College, the more expensive it would be. In implementing the Master Plan for the Cuesta College, the Board of Trustees determines that Cuesta College MUST: (i) Provide AFFORDABLE, LOW-COST, HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION in San Luis Obispo County needed to successfully transfer to four-year universities, and earn job skills; and (ii) Expand career and SUPPORT FACILITIES FOR VETERANS and military personnel; (iii) Provide essential job training and workforce preparation for students of all ages, including among others, training for paramedics, nurses and emergency medical responders; and
(iv) Adhere to stringent FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY safeguards including:
Academic Facility and Technology Upgrade Projects To Help Students, Active Military and Veterans Transfer to Four-Year Universities or be Trained For Good Jobs Goal and Purpose: Ensuring students, active military and veterans are either prepared for transfer to University of California or State college systems or trained for in-demand, good paying jobs are major objectives of Cuesta College. Cuesta College has served San Luis Obispo County residents for nearly three generations providing essential job training and workforce preparation in automotive technology, nursing, paramedic/911 emergency medical training, agricultural trades, early childhood education, law enforcement, welding, construction, engineering, technology and architecture. Funding needed repairs and upgrades to support vital educational programs will ensure Cuesta College remains a strong resource for future generations. Thus the District requires FUNDS that ARE LOCALLY CONTROLLED to improve academic facilities and technology implementations which will allow them to continue providing ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION to local students, active military and veterans, including:
Goal and Purpose: Since the cost of attending universities costs as much as six (6) times that of attending Cuesta College, more and more local students and their families rely on Cuesta College. Therefore, keeping Cuesta's facilities upgraded will ensure that local students can earn college credits, certificates and job skills at a reasonable price:
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Created: July 23, 2015 14:57 PDT
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