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P/CLOUDY Temp: 48 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 6, 2002 Voters say no to RCC bond Measure would have paid for expansion By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A $40 million bond measure to expand Rogue Community College’s crowded facilities in Jackson County was resoundingly rejected by voters Tuesday night. With only 40.7 percent of voters approving the bond measure and 59.3 percent against it, RCC President Rick Levine blamed the poor showing on a bad economy and the recent release of property tax statements. The vote was 22,892 voting yes and 33,364 voting no. "People just voted with their pocketbooks," he said. "It is extremely disappointing. And that’s an understatement." After hearing the news of the bond’s failure at the ballot box Tuesday evening, Levine shook hands with Medford schools Superintendent Steve Wisely, saying, "We both gave it a good shot." Levine said he didn’t know what he would have done differently in the election. "Medford (schools) and Rogue are in the same boat," he said. With Jackson County facilities already overcrowded, Levine predicted that the college would have to turn students away from some classes because there won’t be enough space. "We told our students that enrollment increased another 10 percent this fall and there was no place to put them," he said. Something will have to be done to improve the situation, he said, including looking at other funding options such as foundations, grants and possible long-term financing. The downside could be higher tuition for students to help pay for some of these improvements, said Levine. RCC wanted to use the $40 million bond to pay for a $22 million technical facility in White City and the remaining $18 million to create a unified downtown campus in Medford. Property owners would have paid 25 cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation, or $38 on a $150,000 house, if the measure passed. RCC did better last May, when, 52.3 percent of those voting approved the bond. However only 45.6 percent of registered voters cast their ballots, failing to meet the double-majority requirement of a 50 percent turnout and an affirmative vote. RCC board Chairman George Gilman, said, "I was very disappointed. I really anticipated a win there, but I was surprised." With the bond measure’s defeat, Gilman said it would be difficult to properly serve Jackson County students. "One of our mission statements is to provide affordable education," said Gilman. "But, if we continue to raise tuition, I don’t see how it will stay affordable." He plans to take RCC’s cause to Salem to take advantage of recent legislation that allows the state to borrow money for facilities. "We feel very strongly that we need a technical center," he said. "But we don’t know what kind of mechanism we’ll need to get it built." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S