LWV League of Women Voters of California
Smart Voter
Los Angeles County, CA November 5, 2002 Election
Measure CC
College Facility Improvement Bond Measure
Compton Community College District

General Obligation Bond Measure - 55% Approval Required

23,005 / 76.32% Yes votes ...... 7,136 / 23.68% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Nov 26 10:38am, 100.00% of Precincts Reporting ( 123/ 123)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement |

To better prepare local students for jobs and four-year colleges, shall Compton Community College District repair and renovate academic classrooms and job training facilities, upgrade safety security systems, electrical capacity, computer technology, energy efficiency, and leaky roofs; relieve student overcrowding; and repair, renovate, construct, acquire and equip classrooms, facilities and sites; by issuing $100,000,000 of bonds at legal rates, appointing a Citizens Oversight Committee and performing annual audits to ensure no bond money is used for administrators' salaries?

Impartial Analysis from Lloyd W. Pellman, County Counsel
Click on selected language to view the following information (pdf format) in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, or Vietnamese

Approval of Measure CC would authorize the Compton Community College District ("District") to issue up to $100,000,000 in general obligation bonds.

Funds received from the sale of the bonds would be used only for the construction, rehabilitation and equipping of District facilities, or the acquisition or lease of real property for District facilities. No funds may be used for teacher or administrator salaries, or other school operating expenses.

As required by law, the Board of Trustees of the District ("Board of Trustees") has adopted a list of the specific school facilities projects to be funded by the sale of the bonds. The Board of Trustees will conduct annual, independent financial and performance audits to ensure that funds received from the sale of the bonds will have been expended only on the specific projects listed, and will appoint a citizen's oversight committee to inform the public on expenditures.

The bonds would be issued and sold at an interest rate not to exceed the maximum rate allowed by law, and would be repaid by a property tax levied upon real property located within the District over a period not to exceed forty (40) years. The tax rate levied as the result of approval of this Measure shall be no more than $25 per $100,000 of taxable property value within the District.

This Measure requires a fifty-five percent (55%) vote for passage.

NOTICE TO VOTERS

Approval of Measure CC does not guarantee that the proposed project or projects in the Compton Community College District that are the subject of bonds under Measure CC will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by Measure CC. The school district's proposal for the project or projects may assume the receipt of matching state funds, which could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond measure.

 
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Arguments For Measure CC Arguments Against Measure CC
Compton College is one of California's oldest community colleges. Over the past 75 years, nearly 500,000 students have benefited from the high quality, affordable education the college provides to prepare them for transfer to four-year universities or to acquire job training and skills for better careers.

Unfortunately, aging facilities and overcrowding now threaten the quality of education and career advancement for thousands of local college students. Facilities built in the 1950's to meet higher education needs are inadequate today. Repairs and renovations are needed now to provide up-to-date educational and job training facilities.

Many classrooms and labs are antiquated. Job training facilities are inadequate. Fire alarms, smoke detectors, and other safety systems have deteriorated. Roofs leak. Aging electrical, plumbing, and heating systems need attention and are costly to operate.

Measure CC will:
# Rehabilitate campus buildings to meet current health and safety standards
# Repair and renovate outdated classrooms, labs and job training facilities
# Upgrade electrical systems and equipment to improve access to technology
# Repair leaky roofs and drainage systems
# Add new classrooms and instructional support space to relieve overcrowding
# Complete the new college library
# Improve energy efficiency
# Upgrade heating, ventilation, plumbing, water and sewer systems
# Rehabilitate building exteriors, walkways, grounds, and roads for safety

Passage of Measure CC will ensure our community college has the necessary facilities students need to succeed in a highly competitive, technology-driven society.

All Measure CC funds will stay in our community, benefiting local students.

Measure CC will qualify our college for state matching funds when they become available. An independent Citizens Oversight Committee and annual audits will ensure funds are spent properly.

Measure CC is supported by educators, church leaders, business and community leaders, students, and senior citizens throughout our community.

Please vote YES on CC.

MERVYN M. DYMALLY
US Congressman (Ret.)

MARIA G. LOPEZ
Supervisor of Off Campus Education/CCC Graduate

REV. BOBBY T. NEWMAN
Pastor

SHIRLEY ALLEN
Exec. Director Communities In Schools

DIANE J. MARTINEZ
Paramount City Councilwoman

Rebuttal to Arguments For
Taxpayers/Property owners VOTE NO on COMPTON COLLEGE BOND MEASURE CC

Did you know that three of the five people who signed the argument in favor do not pay property taxes in the city? And it is questionable if two of them even live in the district.

Did you know that approximately $1 million dollars would go to people who put this deal together?

Did you know that most of the major contractors would be from the outside; the money will not stay in the District?

Did you know the College just built a new math/science building?

Did you know that the Board would appoint the Oversight Committee?

Did you know that 95% of the property owners that I talked to are against this MEASURE?

How is it that the College Bond Issue for $100 million dollars will have an assessment of approximately $25.00 per $100,000.00 of assessed value for 15 years and the Compton Unified School District's Bond Issue for $80 million dollars will have an assessment of approximately $59.00 per $100,000.00 of assessed value for 32 years. As you know if you have a shorter pay-off period, the month/yearly payment is more not less. We are tired of Voodoo Accounting and Creative Financing.

The measure says that we will qualify for matching state funds "when they become available". Why would the State give us anything after we authorize the Board to borrow $100,000,000.00 (one hundred million)?

PLEASE VOTE NO ON MEASURE CC

CHARLES DAVIS
Compton City Clerk

To the citizens of the City of Compton, I urge you to VOTE NO on the COMPTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOND MEASURE CC

Our property taxes will increase on average of about $100 to $200 and some properties $3,000.00 to $5,000.00 per year. We will have to pay this new tax for the next 15 years, from 2003 through 2018.

Did you know that we, the citizens of Compton would be paying the LARGER part of this TAX BILL?

Look at the last paragraph of the Statement in Compliance, the Community College District cannot tell us what the actual cost/tax is going to be and even states "not binding upon the District".

Where is the State of California's contribution to upgrading and remodeling the college?

We pay State taxes that are supposed to be used for our college.

We cannot afford any new property taxes.

They will say anything to get this passed.

This tax will make it even more difficult for us to attract new businesses to our community.

Don't be fooled by such words as (only .15 cents per day or $28.00 per year).

PLEASE VOTE NO ON MEASURE CC

CHARLES DAVIS
Compton City Clerk

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
The economic well being and quality of life in our community depend on a quality education system, including adequate college facilities. That's why church leaders, educators, homeowners, and civic leaders urge your support of Measure CC.

FACT: Measure CC is about one thing--repairing old, deteriorated college classrooms and facilities. By law, Measure CC money cannot be spent on anything other than rehabilitating our local community college facilities.

FACT: The average homeowner will pay less than $2 per month for this bond. All funds raised by Measure CC are tax-deductible.

FACT: Anyone who has attended classes in Compton College's "bungalow" classrooms, knows major rehabilitation is needed. Basic upgrades are needed in order to provide for the ongoing education of local college students and those seeking job training to advance in today's competitive job market and economy.

FACT: State law requires a specific plan for use of these funds. No Measure CC money can be used for salaries or bureaucracy.

FACT: Measure CC will qualify our college for State matching funds when they become available. This will help local tax dollars go further. Without Measure CC, these monies will go to other community colleges in other parts of the state.

Local nurses, emergency medical workers, firefighters, childcare providers, and other service providers who have received training from Compton College support Measure CC. They know future students will benefit from improved academic and job training facilities.

Measure CC is a responsible measure supporting quality education and our community college.

Please vote YES.

REV. B.T. NEWMAN
Pastor

MARIA G. LOPEZ
Supervisor of Off Campus Education/CCC Graduate

MERVYN M. DYMALLY
U.S. Congressman (Ret)

SHIRLEY ALLEN
Exec. Director Communities In Schools

DIANE J. MARTINEZ
Paramount City Councilwoman

Tax Rate Statement from Ulis C. Williams, Superintendent/President, Compton Community College District
STATEMENT IN COMPLIANCE - MEASURE CC

An election will be held in the Compton Community College District (the "District") on November 5, 2002, to authorize the sale of up to $100,000,000 in bonds of the District to finance school facilities as described in the proposition. If the bonds are approved, the District expects to sell 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 9400-9404 of the Elections Code of the State of California.

1. The best estimate of the tax rate that 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 $0.02497 per $100 ($24.97 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2003-04.

2. The best estimate of the tax rate that 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 $0.02414 per $100 ($24.14 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2017-18.

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 $0.02500 per $100 ($25.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2011-12.

Voters should note that the estimated tax rate is based on the ASSESSED VALUE of taxable property on the County's 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 District's need for construction funds and certain other marketrelated factors will determine the dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time. 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 County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process.


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Created: December 6, 2002 03:14 PST
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