By Jack Haslett
Measure AC is up for voter approval on the 2024 ballot to allow for a nearly $1 billion bond for construction and renovations in the Long Beach Community College District.
Property owners in the LBCC District would be tasked with paying for the debt that the bond would create if passed.
An annual tax of $25 per every $100,000 of assessed property value, which is the tax value of a property and not the market value, would be put into effect to cover the costs incurred by Measure AC. Both residential and commercial property owners would be included in sharing the costs, according to the Long Beach Community College Foundation.
A full list of the intended improvements has been published by the Long Beach Community College District, which includes a wide array of renovations to classrooms and sports facilities.
Construction of new buildings on both LBCC campuses and the construction of solar panels in certain parking lots on the LBCC Trade, Technical Skills and Community Learning Campus will also be a part of the intended improvements.
The Long Beach Community College District covers Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, San Pedro and Avalon on Catalina Island. However, there is only one college in the district: Long Beach City College.
The college is split across two campuses: the Liberal Arts campus in Lakewood Village and the Trades, Technology and Community Learning campus in Long Beach.
While there is only one college, each of the cities in the Long Beach Community College District would be eligible to vote on Measure AC, according to a FAQ form by LBCC.
LBCC recently regained large-school status and hosts over 20,000 students, according to a 2022 report by Data USA.
The development of solar panels would be a part of a broader initiative in the project list to improve energy efficiency on the LBCC campuses. Upgrades to insulation and new installations of energy-saving electrical infrastructure would also be a part of that initiative.
A new pedestrian bridge would be built connecting two parts of the LBCC Liberal Arts campus, dubbed the Carson Street Crossing in the construction plan. Photo Credit: Jack Haslett.
Another main goal for the use of the money is the construction of affordable student housing in the District. The bond resolution details plans to create a “student village” near the Liberal Arts campus in Lakewood Village.
The resolution also includes the possibility of more off-campus housing constructed in collaboration with the City of Long Beach’s “Tiny Homes” program.
A FAQ document from the Long Beach Community College Foundation states the removal of lead paint and asbestos from school facilities and improving drinking water systems as necessities that would also be addressed using potential funds from the bond.
Accountability for the funds paid for by the public is baked into Measure AC’s proposal.
If approved, all expenditures would be subject to annual performance audits. Additionally, the district would “appoint and support an independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee” to guarantee the funds are being used appropriately and for their pre-declared intention, according to the bond measure project list.
It is also made explicitly clear in the proposition that the funds are not to be used for any teacher or administrator salaries.
Measure AC is independent from Proposition 2, a state bond measure that would distribute $1.5 billion for renovation and construction to community colleges statewide if passed.
