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Vote YES for trades in Lincoln County
At the May 16 election, Lincoln County voters will get to decide on a proposed bond to expand career and technical education opportunities with the construction of the Lincoln County Center for Trades Education, on land that Oregon Coast Community College already owns at its Newport campus.
The new 20-year bonds would secure an $8 million challenge grant for traded education facilities from the state of Oregon, and would raise $32 million from Lincoln County property tax with a levy of 26 cents per thousand of assessed valuation.
The bonds that voters approved in 2004, at 34 cents per thousand of assessed valuation, funded the construction of the college’s existing facilities. These bonds will expire June 30, 2025. If approved in May, this proposal would replace the current levy (which has reduced over the past two decades as property values have increased — scroll to bottom for details). The current levy is estimated to be 21 cents per thousand of assessed valuation in 2023; meaning the new levy, at 26 cents per thousand, would reflect a net increase to property owners of 5 cents per thousand of assessed valuation, just $9.71 per year for the median home in Lincoln County.
Speaking prior to filing the measure, College President Dr. Birgitte Ryslinge said expanding the College’s ability to offer cutting-edge workforce training in a variety of trades has long been a goal of OCCC leadership.
“Since joining OCCC in 2014, I have often been asked ‘when will the College offer more training opportunities for students looking to work in the trades?’ After careful examination of employer and student demand, we concluded this was absolutely an area where we needed to grow. And we do not have the specialized facilities needed to house complete trades programs,” she said.
Ryslinge noted OCCC successfully secured an $8 million challenge grant commitment from the state to help fund such facilities. However, the college won’t receive the state support if it does not receive significant local funding for the project.
“We partnered with Lincoln County School District and the Port of Toledo to start a welding program in 2020. In the intervening years, we have been busy – earning independent accreditation, responding to the pandemic, and adding and expanding other programs (Teaching, Early Childhood, expanding health programs, and more). It is time now to move forward with a bond to secure the matching funds from the state, build the new trades facility, and ensure the rest of our spaces will evolve to meet the future.”
“An expanded welding program is just one of many programs we anticipate delivering over the long life of this new building,” explained Dan Lara, OCCC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs.
“This facility will be designed from the ground up as a cutting-edge, flexible, industrial space. Virtually all the fixtures in this facility will be on wheels so that classrooms, workshops, and other learning spaces can flex and adapt over time to meet changing needs – the needs of our students and our county’s employers.”
Learn more at oregoncoast.edu/cte, or email bondinfo@oregoncoast.edu for more details.
2 weeks ago
A member of the Rock Your World team is currently in the OCCC welding program and its amazing! Vote yes on this program!
Thank you Senator Anderson for all you do for arts and culture in our community!
3 weeks ago
