VOTE411 Voter Guide

Mendocino County Career Training/ Affordable Education Measure. To repair classrooms/ labs, leaky roofs, electrical; maintain clean drinking water, remove mold, asbestos, lead paint; to train students for careers in trades, construction, wildland firefighting, healthcare/ nursing/ EMT; construct, acquire, repair facilities/ sites/ equipment; shall Mendocino Lake Community College District's measure authorizing $98,000,000 in bonds at legal rates be adopted, levying $24 per $100,000 of assessed valuation ($6,100,000 annually, while bonds are outstanding) with public spending disclosure, oversight, audits, no state takeaways?Votes Required for passage of Measure A: 55 percent of the voters voting on the measure★★★ IMPORTANT ★★★EXPAND this compressed “About This Race” window (by clicking "Read More") for valuable information. Don't miss it!· ……………………………………………………………….................................★ OFFICIAL INFORMATION ★IMPARTIAL ANALYSISMeasure “A”, a Mendocino-Lake Community College District Board of Trustees (“District”) bond measure, seeks voter approval to authorize the District to issue general obligation bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $98,000,000. The bonds would issue at legal interest rates, at a rate of twenty-four dollars ($24) per one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) (two and four-tenths of a cent ($0.024) per one hundred dollars ($100).The money raised by the sale of these bonds can only be used for the purposes stated in the bond measure and not for any other purpose including administrator salaries and other operating expenses. Purposes include, but are not limited to; repair classrooms/labs, leaky roofs, electrical, maintain clean drinking water, remove mold, asbestos, lead paint, to train students for careers in trades, construction, wildland firefighting, healthcare/nursing/EMT, construct, acquire and repair facilities/sites/equipment.Both the School Bond Law and the General Obligation Bond law authorize the governing board of a community college district to issue and sell general obligation bonds to finance various school acquisitions and improvements if approved by at least 55 percent of the voters voting on the measure, provided certain accountability safeguards are included in the measure.The bonds and interest thereon would be financed by ad valorem taxes levied annually on taxable real property within the District. Pursuant to Elections Code section 9400 et seq., the District has prepared a Tax Rate Statement which estimates the property tax levies required to pay off the bonds. The District’s tax rate statement reflects an estimate of the maximum property tax levies required to service the bonds.The measure includes the accountability safeguards including: (1) the proceeds from the bond sale shall be used only for the purposes listed in the bond; (2) an independent citizen oversight committee to monitor bond expenditures; (3) annual independent performance and financial audits; and (5) public disclosures of all spending.Approval of Measure A does not guarantee that the proposed project or projects in the Mendocino-Lake Community College District that are the subject of bonds under Measure A will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by Measure A. The District’s proposal for the project or projects may assume the receipt of matching state funds, which could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond measure.A “Yes” vote on this measure is a vote in support of the issuance of $98,000,000 in bonds to be financed by an annual property tax and used only for the purpose listed in the Bond Project List of the Ballot Measure.A “No” vote on this measure is a vote against the issuance of the proposed bond./s/ Brina A. Blanton Assistant County Counsel County of Mendocino TAX RATE STATEMENT CONCERNING MEASURE AAn election will be held in the Mendocino-Lake Community College District (the “District”) on June 2, 2026 to authorize the sale of up to $98,000,000 in general obligation bonds. If such bonds are authorized and sold, principal and interest on the bonds will be payable only from the proceeds of ad valorem tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District. The following information is submitted in compliance with Sections 9400-9406 of the Elections Code of the State of California. Such information is based upon the best estimates and projections presently available from official sources, upon experience within the District, and other demonstrable factors.The following information is provided pursuant to Elections Code Section 9401:The best estimate of the average annual tax rate that would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue over the entire duration of the bond debt service, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $24.00 per $100,000 (2.4¢ per $100) of assessed valuation. It is currently expected that the tax will be collected until fiscal year 2060-61.The best estimate of the highest tax rate that would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue, for each year that bonds are outstanding, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing this statement, is $24.00 per $100,000 (2.4¢ per $100) of assessed valuation, which is projected to be the same in every fiscal year the bonds remain outstanding.The best estimate of total debt services, including principal and interest, that would be required to be repaid if all the bonds are issued and sold will be approximately $210 million.Voters should note that these estimates are based on projections derived from information obtained from official sources, and are based on the assessed value (not market value) of taxable property on the County’s official tax rolls. Property owners should consult their own property tax bills and tax advisors to determine their property’s assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions.The attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information is based upon projections and estimates only, which amounts are not maximum amounts and durations and are not binding upon the District. The actual debt service, tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary depending on the timing of bond sales, the par amount of bonds sold at each sale and actual increases in assessed valuations. The timing of the bond sales and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on the need for project funds and other considerations. Actual assessed valuations will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined by the County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process./s/ Timothy KarasBy Timothy Karas, Ed.D. Superintendent/PresidentMendocino-Lake Community College District ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF MEASURE AOur community is in crisis. We don't have enough nurses, firefighters, emergency responders, or skilled workers, and many training programs for good careers are too expensive and far away. Mendocino College trains critical workers right here at home. That’s why we need YES on A!Public universities like UC’s and CSU’s cost SIX TIMES more than Mendocino College. YES on A keeps job training and college classes affordable so students graduate with skills, not debt.Our healthcare system is stretched to the breaking point.When there's an emergency, we need trained people ready to help. Rural communities like ours are running out of firefighters, EMT’s and nurses at local hospitals. YES on A keeps the specialized classrooms and labs for Mendocino College's nursing and emergency training programs up to date and expanding, so help is there when you need it most.YES on A trains our local students for good-paying jobs. Sustainable construction electricians and skilled tradespeople are in high demand right now. YES on A upgrades job training programs so our kids can learn these skills and build careers right here, without leaving home.YES on A keeps Mendocino College Safe. Today, many Mendocino College buildings have leaky roofs, mold, asbestos, and old electrical wiring. Specialized job training classes and labs are out of date. YES on A fixes these dangers NOW so students and teachers are safe, and our college programs can train the workers of tomorrow.YES on A means every penny stays local. By law, YES on A requires public audits and full spending reports. No money leaves our community. No exceptions.We need nurses, firefighters, and skilled tradespeople. We need to act NOW.Join firefighters, nurses, and local employers to keep college affordable and our community safe. VOTE YES ON A!Learn more: YesOnAMendo.com/s/ Taylor Moore, firefighter/s/ Paul Garza, Jr., Mendocino Coast Health Care District Board Chair/s/ Jordan Grider, nurse/former student/s/ Salvador Rico, Small Business Owner /s/ Marie Myers, 85 Year resident FULL TEXT OF MEASURE AThis may be found on the Website of Mendocino County