Voters to decide on $19M bond Bulk of money would go to community colleges

On Nov. 4 voters will be asked to consider a $19 million bond that would pay for upgrading facilities and purchasing equipment at Maine’s post-secondary education institutions and public libraries.

Beyond providing much-needed facelifts for dozens of state buildings, Question 5, if approved, would help the newly named Maine Community College System achieve its goal of making higher education available to thousands more residents, according to supporters.

Because of an unprecedented 14 percent jump in enrollment during the community colleges’ first year with a new name and expanded mission, the “demand on the facilities is at its all-time highest,” said MCCS President John Fitzsimmons. He aims to raise the number of students to 11,000 by the end of the decade.

The bond request earmarks $12 million for Maine’s seven community colleges to renovate classrooms and science labs to accommodate more students and new course offerings, enhance access for students with disabilities, improve energy efficiency, and expand parking lots.

The bond would give $4.5 million to the University of Maine System, $1 million to Maine Maritime Academy in Castine and $1.5 million to public libraries.

Bond proponents cite a record 47,000 students enrolled in Maine’s public higher education institutions and more people than ever using public libraries. That makes caring for the facilities and adapting them to meet the changing needs of the public more vital than ever, they say.

If approved, the bond package would mean improved access for students and community members, greater energy efficiency, a higher-quality physical environment, and a prolonged life for the facilities, they say.

Proponents have formed a political action committee called Citizens for Higher Education and Public Libraries to campaign for the bond, which has no organized opposition.

Still, “it’s a little hard to be heard because of the casino and the tax relief issue,” said MCCS spokeswoman Alice Kirkpatrick, referring to the more controversial questions that will appear on the referendum ballot.

So far, $37,000 has been raised through private donations to be used for fliers, signs and a television ad that is expected to air this week, she said. The PAC hopes to come up with a total of $70,000-$75,000 to promote the bond.

Of the $4.5 million set aside for UMS, $2 million will be used to renovate and create additional classroom space at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College. The remaining $2.5 million will pay for health and safety improvements to science labs at all seven campuses.

“Countless studies have documented that Maine’s hopes for growing the state’s economy and improving our quality of life are closely tied to the quality and strength of public higher education,” said UMS Chancellor Joseph Westphal.

The $1 million designated for Maine Maritime Academy will fund renovations and improvements to buildings as well as technological advancements.

“In the maritime industry, technology changes very rapidly,” said MMA President Len Tyler. “So at least half of the million would go to helping us keep up with the technological changes in the shipping industry.”

With $1 million of its $1.5 million share of the bond package, the Maine State Library will fund grants to construct and renovate public libraries and improve community access to technology. The remaining $500,000 will be used to fund projects at the state’s cultural agencies including the Maine Arts Commission and Maine Historical Preservation.

Gary Nichols, Maine State Librarian, said the bond would act “more or less as a stimulus” for construction projects. Each library grant would be matched by the recipient institution. The $1 million investment likely could result in $5 million or $6 million in construction funds, he said.

While she was wary of making predictions, especially during an off-year election, Amy Fried, assistant professor of political science at the University of Maine, said residents typically endorse bond issues for education.

“Voters have supported education [initiatives] in the past, and it’s clearly a major policy priority for the governor,” she said.

In fact, since 1970 voters have approved all but five of the 26 higher education bond proposals, said John Diamond, UMS spokesman.

The last eight bond issues for higher education have passed, a testament to voters’ understanding the link between education and the state’s economy and quality of life, according to Diamond.

“We’ve had numerous independent studies of Maine’s economy that have said investment in public higher education is critical to the state’s ability to grow its economy,” he said. “I think there’s a greater understanding of that now statewide than there might have been 10 or 15 years ago.”

A handful of education bonds have failed because of foundering economies, unclear explanations of why the money was needed, unattractive interest rates and “relatively little” advocacy effort, Diamond said.

The difference this time is that the benefits of the bond are clearer, the question is explicit, and interest rates are low, he said.

Question 5

(Bond Issue)

Do you favor a $19,000,000 bond issue to make repairs, upgrades and other facility improvements and enhance access for students with disabilities and upgrade classroom equipment at various campuses of the University of Maine System; the Maine Maritime Academy; and the Maine Community College System, which was formerly the Maine Technical College System, and to provide grants to construct and renovate public libraries and to improve community access to electronic resources?