College may return millions to taxpayers

The Citizens Oversight Committee discussed in a meeting last week the possibility of returning to the taxpayers a remaining balance of more than $15 million from Measure P that the school hasn’t spent.

In 2002, Pasadena Area Community College District voters approved Measure P, a $150 million general obligation bond to repair and rehabilitate its facilities.With many of the big projects already completed like the Center for the Arts building, parking structures and others, there’s a $15.5 million remaining balance.

One of the options for the remaining balance is to complete 15 other smaller projects.

Senior Vice-President and Assistant Superintendent Robert Miller presented these proposed projects to the committee in detail.

About $2.5 million is proposed for classroom conversions, $1.7 million for restroom upgrades and millions more for other projects such as dental classroom expansion, walkways and lighting rehabilitation and math center renovations.

With these 15 projects completed, there would still be a surplus of about $4.4 million from the remaining balance of $15.5 million.

“One option presented to the board (Board of Trustees) in the past was to take the $15 million and essentially return it to the taxpayer,” Superintendent and PCC President Mark Rocha said, “There is a principle involved here. This is the taxpayer’s money. If we do have some money left over we should return it to the people that voted and supported the bond measure. On the other hand the taxpayer also voted to support students and they might say don’t return the money, take care of the students.”

“We could make a reasonable compromise. We could do the pressing projects that are slated and return the surplus,” added Rocha.

But Rocha pointed out to the committee that these options are just in the discussion phase and final approval will still be needed from the Board of Trustees.