The Abridged version: <\/p>\n
The Los Rios Community College District is considering a bond measure to assist with what the district says is a $3.1 billion need in facilities improvements.<\/p>\n
But first, the district\u2019s board will decide whether to limit which voters and taxpayers will decide.<\/p>\n
Los Rios officials say the decision to omit certain areas from their \u201cfacilities improvement\u201d district was based on campus locations, not political affiliations. Critics, including some board members, have questioned the approach, accusing Los Rios of gerrymandering.<\/p>\n
Leaders of the Los Rios Community College District are considering a potentially sizeable ask of taxpayers. But first, the board may move to limit that decision \u2014 and the costs \u2014 to just a portion of voters.<\/p>\n
District staff have identified about $3 billion worth of facilities upgrades and expansions needed across the four schools and almost a dozen satellite campuses.<\/p>\n
To address some of those needs, the district\u2019s board will consider putting a general bond measure on the ballot this fall \u2014 with approval from 55% of voters required for passage.<\/p>\n
But district officials have recommended limiting that bond vote to just two of the five counties in Los Rios. The logic, they say, is that the vast majority of district facilities are located in Yolo and Sacramento counties.<\/p>\n
Critics, however, accuse the district of aiming to exclude conservative voters, who might oppose the additional taxes required to repay the bonds, and of creating an uneven cost burden.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody needs to have skin in the game,\u201d said Los Rios Trustee John Knight. \u201cThis is one district, and I think we should treat it as one district.\u201d<\/p>\n
What would a subdistrict mean?<\/p>\n
Trustees this week will consider drawing boundaries inside of their five-county region, limiting which voters would decide on the bond measure and be affected by the potential tax increases to repay them.<\/p>\n
Los Rios spans almost all of Sacramento County, most of El Dorado County, the eastern wing of Yolo County and slivers of Placer and Solano Counties. It is the second largest community college district in the state by enrollment, behind the Los Angeles district.<\/p>\n
Known as a school facilities improvement district, the subdistrict that the board will weigh during Wednesday\u2019s meeting would be limited to Sacramento and Yolo counties.<\/p>\n
All four main campuses \u2014 American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College \u2014 lie within the improvement district.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Los Rios, Gabe Ross, said only the Folsom Lake\u2019s El Dorado Center would be left out. The district has no facilities in Solano or Placer counties.<\/p>\n
Gerrymandering?<\/p>\n
Some community members have questioned the approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis resolution literally divides our community,\u201d Alisa Shubb, professor of speech communication at American River College, said during the board\u2019s March meeting.<\/p>\n