The passing of General Obligation Bond Measure G allows Cerritos College to expand into a “campus for the future,” with facilities updated with the latest technology and teaching aids that will allow the college to set the standard among community colleges, Board President Bob Arthur said at the Measure G Thank You Reception on Nov. 30.
The Cerritos College Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students gathered for food and celebration at the Student Center to thank voters and all other parties involved in the passing of Measure G on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Arthur, as well as President Linda Lacy addressed the people in attendance and expressed their gratitude toward members of the campaign committee, sponsors, and supporters of the bond.
The honored guests were also awarded certificates for their contributions to the passing of the measure.
“This is something for everyone involved to be proud of,” Arthur said. “It’s like they’re the artists in creating this.”
Measure G allows Cerritos College to issue $350 million in bonds over the next ten years that will provide funding to renovate and construct new buildings for its 60-year-old campus.
“To say this is huge would be an understatement,” Arthur said. “We can never say ‘thank you’ enough to everyone involved. We received overwhelming support (for Measure G) and to me, that speaks volumes of the community and the voters.
“It shows that (the city of) Cerritos is a jewel — (It) recognizes the value of Cerritos College as it trains and retrains students for the future.”
Arthur added that he remembers when he was younger, seeing the original construction of the campus.
“It’s phenomenal to be here. It’s like seeing a rebirth of the campus,” Arthur said.
Taxes collected as a result of the measure will fill the financial gap that has steadily increased over the last few years as the state of California withholds its funding to community colleges.
“If this didn’t pass, we wouldn’t have much of a campus left,” Associated Students of Cerritos College President Lance Makinano said. “Some of our buildings were originally bungalows that had a 20-year lifespan. The buildings are past that.
“This will make Cerritos a more competitive, model community college in the nation,” he said. “I have to give the citizens the honor and highest regard. We should do the same in future if need be.”
Makinano also added that wireless internet will be expanded across more of the campus, but he does not know for sure when students can expect it to happen.
ASCC provided almost 50 percent of the campaign funding. ASCC, along with Operation Outreach, put in the time to advertise and generate support for the measure.
“I feel like we have done something really beneficial for the school and students,” Michael Alvarado, an electronics engineering major and member of Operation Outreach said. “We are opening the door for future students and bettering the experience they will have here.”
Voters passed the measure with 69.87 percent of the votes, well above the required 55 percent of votes needed.
Voters approved a similar measure back in 1955 for $6 million, which was used to build the original campus.
By passing Measure G, voters within the Cerritos College community agreed to place the tax burden on their own shoulders.
Homeowners in the area would be taxed no more than $25 a year, per $100,000 of assessed value.
$20 million will be allocated toward classroom and building renovations; $264 million to new construction; $31 million to site projects; and $35 million to campus wide projects.
For more details on what projects will be covered under Measure G, visit http://cms.cerritos.edu/bond/measure-g.htm.
