Austin Community College will ask area voters to approve a nearly $386 million bond package and 3 cent tax increase in November.

ACC board members approved the bond package and tax increase request June 16. District residents will vote on separate propositions for bond projects benefiting new and existing campuses. Also, if approved, ACC's 9.49 cent tax rate will incrementally increase 1 cent in 2016, 2018 and 2020.

The decision to seek bond money came after more than a dozen meetings and hours of board discussion. Multiple trustees questioned whether voter fatigue could negatively impact the results of this year's election in which there is also anticipated to be a multimillion-dollar transportation bond package put forth by the city of Austin.

"I just have great trepidation for what the community will accept this year, and it has everything to do with the fatigue with property taxes," trustee John-Michael Cortez said. "Instead of speculating, let's just ask for what we absolutely have to have right now and err on the side of caution."

Cortez unsuccessfully lobbied for an alternative $244 million bond package, which drew concern from trustee Allen Kaplan because it did not include projects for Leander and Round Rock.

"We really have to continue to understand we are a regional district and not just the center of Austin," Kaplan said. "We cannot ignore the suburbs. And if we do, we do so on the pain of losing this—and we will lose this."

Cortez reminded the board about recent projects in Elgin, Hays County, Round Rock and Cedar Park.

"Meanwhile we've let existing campuses fall into a very sad state," he said. "I think we've actually lost focus on what we do have in Central Austin to those facilities' detriment."

Cortez ultimately voted to approve the full $386 million bond request, with trustee Tim Mahoney casting the lone nay vote. Trustee Nan McRaven was absent. No trustees objected to the proposed tax increase.

ACC bond and tax cap election proposal ($385.97 million)

Proposition 1—Planned Growth and Workforce Advancement ($224.8 million):

Highland campus—creating space for digital media, commercial music, continuing education culinary careers and others ($152.8 million)

Leander campus—planned growth in the northwest ($60 million)

Land banking for Southeast Travis County Workforce Training Center ($12 million)

Proposition 2—Safety, Technology, Environmental and Sustainability Improvements ($161,166,950):

Districtwide renovations—health, safety and sustainability ($80,966,950)

Round Rock campus—program expansion ($33.4 million)

Hays campus—establish a First Responders Training Center ($22.4 million)

Elgin campus—create veterinary and sustainable agriculture programs ($13.2 million)

Retrofit, repurpose older spaces for kinesiology, art, dance, radio/TV/film, trades and others districtwide ($11.2 million)

Maintenance tax cap

The proposal is for the ACC maintenance tax cap to increase 1 cent in fiscal years 2016, 2018 and 2020. In addition, school administrators will begin budgeting for a tuition freeze the next four fiscal years.