ACC's additional projects approved; tax cap proposition fails

Austin Community College declared victory Nov. 4 for two bond proposals that combine for nearly $386 million in districtwide construction and facility improvements. Both Proposition 1—which includes a $60 million campus in Leander—and Proposition 2 passed with 57 percent of the vote, according to ACC.

"This is a huge win for ACC, our students and the community. The voters have overwhelmingly decided to invest in the future of their college," said Jeffrey Richard, ACC board of trustees chairman, in a statement.

The college also acknowledged its effort to increase the district's maintenance and operations tax rate cap failed by 51 percent to 49 percent. The board previously stated that, if the tax cap increase were approved, tuition rates would remain stable for in-district students.

Now, with the 3-cent tax cap increase denied by voters, the district will review how best to find additional revenue for maintenance and operations.

"We have a strong track record of good financial stewardship, and we will do everything we can with the funding that's available," Richard said in a statement.

In the coming weeks, ACC will decide on a timeline for spending the nearly

$386 million in bond funding and also develop a website to provide updates on the progress of each project. ACC trustee and Leander resident Vic Villarreal said renovations at the Highland campus will likely be funded first, followed by larger projects such as the Leander campus.

"The process for [the] Leander [campus] now is to create a master plan of the campus that would include parts of the facility, roadway design and the layout," Villarreal said. "I envision we begin putting out [requests for proposals] and [requests for quotations] for the design portions by next summer. ... We could have an official groundbreaking as early as next fall."

During the planning process Villarreal said ACC officials will meet with city leaders to plan infrastructure and possibly discuss future course offerings.

As the ACC board of trustees issues bonds for the Leander campus and other projects in the coming years, the interest and sinking portion of the tax rate, which funds debt repayment, could increase about 2 cents, according to district staff.