EUGENE, Ore.—The Lane Community College Board of Education and supporters kicked off the college’s 2020 bond campaign at a noontime event on January 21 on main campus.
Board Chair Mike Eyster announced that the board had reduced the amount of the bond to $121.5 million, down from $145 million, after soliciting public feedback and hearing that while people strongly support Lane, they were concerned about taxes.
“It’s been 10 years since LCC went out for a bond and in the meanwhile, our needs have grown,” said Eyster. “We wouldn’t go out for this bond if we didn’t absolutely need it.”
State Representative Marty Wilde and retired Oregon Community Credit Union CEO Mandy Jones, campaign co-chairs, also spoke, followed by remarks from LCC President Margaret Hamilton. State Senator James Manning and Springfield Mayor Christine Lundberg stood with the speakers in support of the bond, along with other community leaders.
Speakers said that the $121.5 million bond would fund critical safety and security upgrades, bring learning facilities and labs up to a 21st century level, and improve and increase career and workforce training facilities for growing programs such as health professions, and bringing Lane's dental clinic back to main campus.
The college's facilities master plan recently identified $230 million in total needs. In addition to bond funding, LCC plans to address those needs through state matching grants for seismic rehabilitation, and other resources.
More information about the LCC bond and how it will support education and training services is available online at lanecc.edu/bond.
The board approved the new bond amount at its special meeting on January 18.
The bond will be referred to voters in the May 19, 2020 election.
For more information about Lane Community College:
Lane is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabilities Employer
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Lane Community College educates over 25,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $850 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 13,000 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.