ECC bond sale supporters hope voters see value of college updates
Leo Nelson knew he was preaching to the choir Wednesday morning.
So, the president of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce gave supporters of Elgin Community College's $178 million bond referendum question a simple task: Get the yes vote out.
"You can't persuade no voters to vote yes," Nelson said. "But," he cracked wise, "you can tell them to vote on April 8."
About 100 ECC students, faculty members, trustees and others in the community turned out for a 10 a.m. "Say Yes to Jobs - Vote ECC" rally kicking off the campaign for the April 7 ballot question.
Among those who took the podium in support of the building program were Nelson, Elgin Mayor Ed Schock, Sherman Health President Rick Floyd and campaign co-chairs the Rev. Nathaniel Edmond and former St. Charles mayor Fred Norris.
The bond referendum question, Schock said, will aid the long-term health of the community. "A lot of people might say this is the wrong time (to ask taxpayers for $178 million)," he said. "It's the perfect time."
Many of those who are unemployed, Schock said, don't have up-to-date skills to be hired for new positions. "When the recession ends, it is necessary they learn to improve their skills."
Students, who were clad in blue "vote ECC" T-shirts and held signs, were encouraged to volunteer for the rally at a free campus breakfast last week.
"I figured why not," said Danny Espiritu, a 22-year-old health student from Hanover Park. Despite good grades, Espiritu remains on the college's waiting list for the nursing program because of the size of its facilities.
"This is something that would directly affect my future."
The referendum question, approved by the college's board of trustees in January, seeks to fund the first portion of a $387 million master plan to fully update the college by 2030.
The request, according to college estimates, works out to about 3½ cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation. For the owner of a $200,000 home, taxes would increase by approximately $23 in the first year; for the owner of a $350,000 home, about $40.
Bonds would be sold to buy land adjacent to ECC's Elgin campus; expanding and redesigning its library; updating parking lots and reconfiguring traffic patterns on campus; renovating its student resource center; and adding a new training facility for police, firefighters and emergency management technicians.
Maintenance projects, including installing a sprinkler system and energy-efficient windows, which have been deferred in recent years due to a loss in state funding, are also part of the plan.
Early voting for the election begins Monday.