New Mexican voters emphatically approved two General Obligation (GO) Bond measures that will provide millions of dollars in funding to a multitude of different projects at the University of New Mexico.
As previously reported by the Daily Lobo, both bonds will not result in a tax increase, relying instead on a mixture on bond and state funds.
“The strong support New Mexicans showed at the polls for both the higher education and library bonds is reflective of the value they place on research and learning,” said UNM President Garnett Stokes. “We look forward to building a campus at the University for New Mexico of which we can all be proud.”
Bond B
Voters overwhelmingly approved Bond B, gaining over 68 percent of the overall vote. A total of 610,132 people voted on the bond as of the publication of this article, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
Bond B will provide $800,000 to UNM Main Campus to fund different library resources, including collections and the various technologies needed for students to access these collections. UNM’s branch campuses will receive a small amount of funds ranging from $5,000 to $32,000, according to the Bond’s informational website.
Outside of UNM, the bond will provide a total of more than $11 million for libraries at schools and universities across the state.
Bond D
The higher education Bond D, which received much greater fanfare and attention, easily passed with 65 percent of the vote.
The money from Bond D will be divided into three areas: renovation of the Chemistry Building, renovation of existing ROTC facilities and the creation of a Natural Resources Center on the UNM Taos branch campus.
The Chemistry Building, which faculty say is plagued by leaky roofs and subpar heating, will receive $16 million for renovations. The website for the bond says general maintenance of the building will also include the creation of new laboratories.
The ROTC project will involve the rebuilding, revamping and in some cases demolition of buildings currently occupied by UNM’s three ROTC programs. According to the bond’s website, the bathrooms in these buildings are not Americans with Disabilities Act compliant and do not provide proper facilities for women. The project has a requested total of $7 million.
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Kyle Land is the editor in chief for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted by email at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @kyleoftheland.
