Welcome to the Long Beach Post’s nonpartisan voter guide. We’re an independent, nonprofit newsroom that is able to cover our city because of donations from readers like you. Check out our full voter guide for local ballot measures and races at lbpost.com/elections.
The Long Beach Community College District is asking voters to support a $990 million bond measure to renovate the college’s campuses, build affordable housing for students and improve disability access.
The bond debt, which could end up being $1.86 billion with financing and interest, will be paid back through higher taxes on local property owners. Residential and commercial property owners would pay an extra $25 dollars per year in property taxes for every $100,000 of assessed value (the price you’re taxed on, not the property’s market value.)
The money would go to a host of projects ranging from improving LBCC’s drinking water and sewer systems, building low-cost housing near campuses, adding classroom space and making upgrades to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. You can see a full list of projects, including specific construction at each campus, here.
One major overhaul the college has recently discussed, renovating Veterans Stadium, is not on the list. But other major construction projects — such as building a new student welcome center at the Liberal Arts Campus and a new amphitheater near the library at the Trades, Technology and Community Learning Campus — are on the list.
The money cannot be used for administrator or teacher salaries.
This is different than a statewide bond measure, Proposition 2, that would distribute $1.5 billion to community colleges across the state for infrastructure projects. Long Beach City College leaders say Measure AC would help them access more funding from Proposition 2, which will use matching grants as a mechanism to distribute the money.