On June 18, Delta’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the placement of a $598 million bond measure on the Nov. 5 ballot.
These funds, if approved by voters, would seek to upgrade classrooms, address leaky plumbing, improve security and ultimately attempt to address issues with Delta’s more than 50-year-old facilities.
“This campus is 50 years old … we’ve had issues with leaky roofs … we need to address all that while looking at new facilities,” said Alex Breitler, Director of Marketing and Communications.
While the bond measure doesn’t explicitly state which building on campus needs the most work; Breitler did respond via email stating that essentially all these buildings need improvement.
“In short, they’re all really important,” said Breitler.
The official ballot release of Measure K states that by repairing the old foundations; mold, asbestos and lead paint, it simultaneously improves the safety of Delta students.
Delta trains hundreds of workers each year, from nursing to law enforcement and agriculture.
Measure K seeks to further expand on these programs by providing new computers, upgrading labs with new technology and providing new furniture to classrooms.
“Delta College trains community members for higher-paying careers in important local fields like agriculture, robotics, law enforcement, and healthcare,” said Superintendent/President Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson on the Delta College website.“For the healthcare industry alone, Delta College prepares more than 400 workers each year to fill critical jobs such as registered nurses, emergency medical technicians, and more.”
The ballot measure also proposes projects that include providing clean drinking water, increasing affordable education and improving campus safety by removing mold and asbestos from pipes.
The Measure K text also specifies campus security as an area of focus, claiming that the bond would help repair locks on doors, upgrade cameras and communication systems.
Although these numbers aren’t market value, the Stockton community and homeowners in the service area could be paying approximately $16 per $100,000 with a typical property owner paying around $49 per year.
“We certainly don’t take this lightly — going to voters for support. We recognize that folks are pinched. I think I would encourage voters to think about the return on investment here,” said Breitler.
The timeline of when these projects would start is not set in stone yet. Breitler said it’s likely that if the bond passes, the board would act on these projects as soon as possible.
The bond measure is not without critics. Measure K has a public rebuttal against it from Bob Bentz. Bentz’s rebuttal is titled “Beware it’s Your Money.”
“The Delta College trustees want you to vote for $598,000,000 without public discussion or input,” said Bentz in the rebuttal. “The Board of Trustees and President don’t consult. Nobody wants to know what the COC thinks until after they take action. The COC is supposed to represent the community. I know I served on it for six years. The college does foolish things with bond money.”
Measure K is Delta’s first major bond measure since 2004, when voters approved the $250 Measure L bond.
The approval of Measure L is responsible for refurbishing the Goleman Library, development of the Math and Science building along with the Mountain House campus.
Still, Measure L was not without its failures. Promises of satellite campuses that Bentz references in the rebuttal had cost the board $3 million in loss after pulling money from Lodi, $600,000 was lost to a site on Liberty Road and a planetarium in Stockton never came to fruition.
Parts of the Mountain House campus are unfinished as well.
“I think it’s safe to say that we didn’t do everything that we hoped to get done with Measure L … Mountain House is definitely a priority,” said Breitler.
While there is a project list for the $598 million, at this time there is nothing specifically stating how much money would be allocated to individual projects.
What is stated is that there will be no money for administration salary, the funds will be locally controlled, therefore they can’t be taken by the state.
Additionally, an independent citizen oversight committee will be created to ensure that all funds from Measure K are spent appropriately.
According to Breitler, a campaign will be developed for the bond and will be funded outside of Delta College.
