Leander will be home to a new $60 million Austin Community College campus if voters favor a bond initiative approved by the ACC board of trustees June 16.
Propositions 1 and 2 totaling almost $386 million in bonds will be on the ballot Nov. 4 in addition to Proposition 3, which would raise the ACC property tax rate cap incrementally by 1 cent in 2016, 2018 and 2020.
If approved Propositions 1 and 2 would amount to a 2-cent increase in ACC's property tax rate. If Proposition 3 also passes, the total tax impact is estimated to be 5 cents and will be phased in over time, according to ACC. For a home with a taxable value of $195,000, the property tax increase totals $39 per year.
In addition to a new campus near the Leander Capital Metro train station, Proposition 1 includes $152.8 million for renovations at the Highland campus in Central Austin and $12 million for purchasing land in Southeast Austin. In Proposition 2, the Cypress Creek campus in Cedar Park is allocated about $2.9 million for updates to electrical systems, improvements to sustainability and more. Districtwide renovations and expansions are also part of Proposition 2.
A year of discussion
In early 2013 a citizens bond committee began evaluating the capital improvement needs outlined in ACC's master plan. The committee narrowed the scope of work to a proposal that totaled just less than$500 million, including a $70 million Leander campus. In spring 2013 the committee's list of 11 priorities was presented to the board of trustees, which decided to postpone the election until November 2014.
"These last 12 months were helpful for us because we as trustees we were able to ... work to refine [the bond proposal]," said Victor Villarreal, ACC board vice president and a Leander resident. "In 41 years, ACC has asked for one general obligation bond. That tells you we are extremely deliberative in how we plan and why."
During board deliberations, funding for the Leander campus was reduced to $60 million, and the bond proposal was split into two packages: Proposition 1 focuses on planned growth and workforce advancement, and Proposition 2 encompasses safety, technology, environmental and sustainability improvements.
Proposition 3, which increases ACC's property tax rate of 9.49 cents per $100 of valuation by 3 cents over five years, was an idea that was also developed during the past year of discussion among trustees, Villarreal said. If Proposition 3 is approved, school administrators will begin budgeting for a tuition freeze during the next four fiscal years, he said.
Leander campus
Leander ISD residents have been paying the ACC tax rate since it was established in 1986. In May 2010, ACC finalized the $12 million purchase of a 100-acre property in Leander's transit-oriented development district, or TOD, after considering more than 20 sites throughout the city, said Neil Vickers, ACC vice president of finance and budget.
"That land was the one closest to the rail, in the area we knew would be part of the TOD," he said. "The biggest thing is accessibility for students, and that's not changing [since] it's right there next to [US] 183 and the rail line."
The Leander campus would accommodate 2,500–3,000 students in the first phase of development, Vickers said. The campus would help relieve overcrowding at the Cypress Creek campus and increase the overall student capacity in ACC's 7,000-square-mile service area.
Leander City Manager Kent Cagle said he anticipates the college will work with a developer to maximize the land use and may possibly seek to collaborate with public entities to create an ideal campus.
"We think [the campus] would be a huge benefit in particular for the TOD. We have been waiting on this for a long time," he said. "I think there is a real possibility there for some public-private partnerships. We've talked with some developers recently that have an interest in working with the three public entities: the city, ACC and [Capital] Metro."
If Proposition 1 is approved and the board begins construction immediately, the campus could open by fall 2018, Vickers said. In addition to general education classes as the campus, specialized programming such as medical professions, computer science, sustainable energy or auto technology will be determined by ACC following input from city leaders.
"There's a pretty consistent process we developed on new campuses. Some type of advisory committee is formed, usually heavily weighted [with representatives] from that area," Vickers said. "The local community makes recommendations of what programs they think that campus needs, and then that's also reconciled against the college's master plan."
From now until November
About 75 percent of the voting population in ACC's district lives in Travis County, 20 percent of voters live in Williamson County and the remaining 5 percent live in Caldwell, Hays, Bastrop and Lee counties, Vickers said. During board discussion prior to approval, Trustee Allen Kaplan said including the needs of campuses in the outlying areas of ACC's district is imperative to the bond's passage.
"We really have to continue to understand we are a regional district and not just [in] the center of Austin. We cannot ignore the suburbs," Kaplan said.
Until the election, ACC can distribute factual information about the school's needs such as statistics on overcrowding, information about needed safety upgrades and how the bond money will be used. Leander city leaders can express their opinions about the bond election as long as no city funds are spent, Cagle said. ACC trustees can independently advocate for the bond, said Villarreal, who is also a member of ACC Works, a pro-bond political action committee.
"ACC is the primary source for job training in the Austin area and an affordable option for students to earn a degree," Villarreal said. "To keep pace with rapid growth and change, we must invest in ACC today so that it remains an asset to our economy and community in the future."
