This is an archive of a past election. See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/ed/ for current information. |
League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
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Measure E Sierra College Job Training, Repair/Safety Measure Sierra Joint Community College District Bond - 55% 1038 / 50.2% Yes votes ...... 1029 / 49.7% No votes
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
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Results as of Mar 3 0:18am, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (5/5) |
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement | Full Text | ||||
To Prepare students for jobs/four year colleges, imporve safety, accommodate increasing enrollment at Sierra College campuses in Rocklin, Nevada County, Roseville, Lincoln, Truckeee by:
The Sierra Joint Community College District has proposed to the voters that general obligation bonds of the community college district be issued in an amount up to $394 million and that ad valorem taxes be levied upon taxable property in the District to repay the bonds. The measure provides that proceeds from the sale of the bonds will generally be used to fix faulty sewer systems, leaky roofs and decaying walls; expand nursing, police and firefighting centers; add new classrooms; upgrade classroom wiring; upgrade technology; repair, acquire, construct and equip buildings, sites and classrooms; and expand various outreach/education centers throughout the District. The measure prohibits using any of the bond proceeds for faculty and administrator salaries and other District operating expenses. If the measure is adopted, the Board of Trustees of the District will require that annual, independent financial and performance audits be conducted to verify that expenditures are proper and projects are being completed. In addition, a Citizens' Oversight Committee will be established within sixty days of the report of election results to the Board. The Board of Trustees of the Sierra Joint Community College District has called the election for the purpose of submitting the measure to the voters within the District. If 55% of the voters of the District voting on the measure vote yes, the district may proceed to sell the bonds and levy the related taxes as estimated in the Tax Rate Statement. A no vote on this measure will disapprove the issuance of the bonds and the levy of the taxes for such bonded indebtedness. Louis B. Green El Dorado County Counsel
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Arguments For Measure E |
Measure E will repair deteriorating classrooms and labs, and expand Sierra College campuses for job training, four year university transfer and public safety programs.
Sierra College has not tried to pass a bond since 1957. The 43-year-old Rocklin campus needs serious repairs and upgrades:
In tough economic times, Sierra College is critically important to train and retrain local residents and expand their job skills. Nursing, firefighter, police, computer science and other job traing programs at every Sierra College campus need upgraded classrooms and labs to train residents for today's job market. Too many students are turned away from job training programs and academic courses required for transfer programs. Sierra "Emeritus" classes serve local retirees, and enrollment is skyrocketing. College-wide enrollment has grown 48% since 1997, while classroom and lab space has increased by only 11%. Larger Sierra College campuses are needed in Roseville, Nevada County, Lincoln, Truckee and Rocklin for thousands of new studeents each year. Measure E will support classrooms, labs and distance learning technology to accommodate future enrollment growth throughout the region. Every dollar raised by Measure E will be used to improve Sierra College and cannot be taken by the state. No money can be spent on administrator salaries, and annual, independent financial audits will guarantee that funds are spent as promised. Measure E will positively impact hundreds of local businesses and thousands of local jobs - and ensure Sierra College can continue to provide high-quality, affordable, local education. Please join us in supporting Measure E for Sierra College.
s/ Audrey Keebler
s/ Charlie Paine
s/ Karen Smith
s/ Bob Edwards
s/ Rick Todd
(No arguments against Measure E were submitted) |
Tax Rate Statement from Superintendent/President Sierra Joint Community College District |
An election will be held in the Sierra Joint Community College District (the "District") on March 2, 2004, to authorize the sale of up to $394,000,000 in bonds of the District to finance college facilities as described in the proposition. If the bonds are approved, the District expects to sell the bonds in 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 9400-9404 of the Elections Code of the State of California.
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 $0.01900 per $100 ($19.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2004-05. 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 $0.01898 per $100 ($18.98 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2014-15. 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 $0.01900 per $100 ($19.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2004-05. Based on these estimated tax rates, the average annual tax over the life of the bonds would be $18.99 for $100,000 of assessed valuation. Voters should note that these estimated tax rates are based on the assessed value of taxable property in the District as shown on the official tax rolls of the respective counties comprising the District's territory, not on the property's market 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 the 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. 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 estimates are based upon the District's projections and are not binding upon the District. The dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on the 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 in the annual assessment and the equalization process. Dated: November 11, 2003 Dr. Kevin M. Ramirez Superintendent/President Sierra Joint Community College District |
Full Text of Measure E |
EXHIBIT B
The following is the full proposition presented to the voters of the Sierra Joint Community College District. Sierra College Job Training, Repair/Safety Measure: "To prepare students for jobs/ four-year colleges, improve safety, accommodate increasing enrollment at Sierra College campuses in Rocklin, Nevada County, Roseville, Lincoln, Truckee by:
Bonds - Yes Bonds + NoPROJECTS
The Board of Trustees of the Sierra Joint Community College District evaluated the District's urgent and critical facility needs, including safety issues, enrollment growth, energy cost reduction and information and computer technology, in developing the scope of projects to be funded, as outlined in the Sierra College Facilities Master Plan 2015, approved by the Board of Trustees on October 14, 2003, incorporated herein, and as shall be further amended from time to time. In developing the scope of projects the faculty, staff and students have prioritized the key health and safety needs so the most critical needs are addressed. The Board conducted independent facilities evaluations and received public input and review in developing the scope of college facility projects to be funded, as listed in the Facilities Master Plan 2015 which was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees. This input of faculty, community and business leaders concluded that if these needs were not addressed now, the problems would only get worse. In preparing the Facilities Master Plan 2015 the Board of Trustees made five important determinations:(i) in tough economic times community colleges, including Sierra College, are critically important to re-train people who want to expand their job skills; (ii) larger Sierra College campuses are needed due to the rapid growth of the area which has resulted in thousands of new students entering college each year; (iii) Statewide budget cuts are damaging Sierra College's ability to provide a high-quality education for local students; (iv) Sierra College must provide facilities and classes for academic programs for students who want to transfer to four-year colleges; and (v) it would be less expensive to upgrade and repair aging community college buildings and classrooms now, than in the future. The Facilities Master Plan 2015 is on file at the District's Office of the Superintendent/President, and includes the following projects: SIERRA COLLEGE + ROCKLIN CAMPUS
The bond program is designed to provide facilities which will serve current and expected enrollment. In the event of an unexpected slowdown in development or enrollment of students at Sierra College, or its several outreach centers, certain of the projects described above will be delayed or may not be completed. In such case, bond money will be spent on only the most essential of the projects listed above. The District will work with the Citizens' Oversight Committee on prioritizing those projects in the event factors beyond the District's control require that projects be reconsidered. 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. 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 COLLEGE FACILITIES, INCLUDING THE FURNISHING AND EQUIPPING OF COLLEGE FACILITIES, AND NOT FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, INCLUDING TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES AND OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES. BY LAW, ALL FUNDS CAN ONLY BE SPENT ON REPAIR AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. |