Columbus State Community College, Ohio, Issue 21, Bond Issue (April 2020)
| Columbus State Community College Issue 21 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date April 28, 2020 | |
| Topic Local school bonds | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Referral | Origin Lawmakers |
A bond issue was on the ballot for Columbus State Community College District voters in Franklin County, Ohio, on April 28, 2020.[1] It was approved.
| A "yes" vote supported authorizing the college to issue $300 million in bonds and requiring an average tax rate of $65 per $100,000 in assessed value. |
| A "no" vote opposed authorizing the college to issue $300 million in bonds and requiring an average tax rate of $65 per $100,000 in assessed value. |
The principal amount of the bonds was $300 million to be paid over 24 years beginning in 2020. The estimated average annual tax to repay the bonds was $65 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Assessed property value is a determined dollar amount used to calculate applicable taxes. Bond repayment can also be understood in relation to the market value of the property. The market value is the estimated price buyers in the market would pay for the property. In Ohio, assessed property value for taxation is set at 35% of market value. In terms of market value, the average annual tax to repay the bonds was $22.75 per $100,000 of estimated market value.[2]
A simple majority was required for the approval of Issue 21. Issue 21 was the first bond measure for Columbus State Community College to appear before Franklin County voters.[3][4]
Election results
|
Franklin County Issue 21 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
95,079 | 59.75% | ||
| No | 64,051 | 40.25% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Shall bonds be issued by Columbus State Community College, a state community college district of the State of Ohio, for the purpose of all or a part of the cost of purchasing sites in Franklin County; for the erection, furnishings, and equipment of buildings in Franklin County, including technology; and for the acquisition or construction of any property in Franklin County which the board of trustees of a state community college is authorized to acquire or construct, including renovations and improvements for workforce development and safety and security in the principal amount of $300,000,000, to be repaid annually over a maximum period of 24 years, and an annual levy of property taxes made outside of the ten-mill limitation, estimated by the county auditor to average over the repayment period of the bond issue 0.65 mill for each one dollar of tax valuation, which amounts to $0.065 for each one hundred dollars of tax valuation, commencing in 2020, first due in calendar year 2021, to pay the annual debt charges on the bonds, and to pay debt charges on any notes issued in anticipation of those bonds?[5] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Support
Citizens for Columbus State led the campaign in support of Issue 21.[2]
Supporters
Individuals
- State Representative Erica Crawley (D)[6]
- State Representative Adam Miller (D)[6]
- State Representative David Leland (D)[6]
- State Senator Andrew Brenner (R)[6]
- State Senator Hearcel Craig (D)[6]
- State Senator Tina Maharath (D)[6]
- Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther[6]
Organizations
- Columbus Chamber of Commerce[7]
- Columbus State Education Association[6]
- Franklin County Democratic Party[6]
- NAACP of Columbus[6]
Arguments
- David Harrison, president of Columbus State Community College, said that state capital funding "isn’t sufficient to keep up with our deferred maintenance and technology needs. ... Our community needs us to do more, faster, and this will enable us to do that."[4]
Opposition
If you know of endorsements or arguments that should be posted here, email editor@ballotpedia.org.
Arguments
- Joe Motil, a spokesman for Taxpayers Advocating Fair Taxation, said, "It is the responsibility of the State of Ohio to fund state colleges while state colleges are also expected to be engaged in fundraising campaigns, apply for grants and other means to raise money. ... Columbus State attracts students from all of Ohio’s 88 counties, yet only Franklin County taxpayers are being asked to subsidize this expense. They also have campuses in Union and Delaware counties. 74% of its students are from Franklin county and 45% of Columbus State’s enrollment is online."[8]
Background
The Columbus State Educational Facilities and Technology Plan
In September 2019, the Columbus State Community College Board of Trustees passed The Columbus State Educational Facilities and Technology Plan. The estimated cost of the project was $391.5 million to be funded in part by the bond issue. The plan includes the following projects:[9]
- $37.7 million for student success hubs,
- $36.6 million for STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics),
- $36.5 million for deferred maintenance needs, and
- $30 million for the Center of Emerging Technologies.
First bond question for community college district
Issue 21 was the first bond question placed before voters on behalf of Columbus State Community College. As of 2020, the college enrolled approximately 45,000 each year.[10][9]
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the Columbus State Community College Board of Trustees on November 21, 2019.[3]
See also
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External links
Support |
OppositionSubmit links to editor@ballotpedia.org. |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Franklin County Elections, "Issue 21," accessed February 4, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Citizens for Columbus State, "Home," accessed March 10, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Franklin County Elections, "Election Notice for Bond Issue," accessed February 4, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Columbus Dispatch, "Columbus State might ask voters to OK a $300 million bond issue in 2020," October 22, 2019
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Citizens for Columbus State, "Endorsements," accessed March 10, 2020
- ↑ Columbus Chamber of Commerce, "The Columbus Chamber of Commerce urges Franklin County voters to support Issue 21," February 13, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email from Joe Motil," March 20, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Columbus State Community College, "Board of Trustees, Meeting Agenda from 2019-10-25," accessed February 27, 2020
- ↑ The Dispatch, "Editorial: Endorsement: Pass Columbus State Community College bond issue," December 3, 2019
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