ELECTION 2002: Bond B to help upgrade existing UNM facilities

by Arthur Simoni

Daily Lobo

Voters in the Nov. 5 election will decide whether to pass the $93.1 million Bond B issues to fund major renovations at New Mexico's colleges and universities.

Dolores Gonzalez, senior program manager for the UNM office of advancement, said that approving the bonds would not only help students on the main campus but would also aid those at University branch campuses.

"The funding provides money for building renewal and maintenance," Gonzalez said. "It impacts students directly because it upgrades the buildings students use on a daily basis."

She said UNM would receive about $13.4 million.

Specifically, the bond will give UNM $7.51 million for renewal, renovation and installation of a clean room - an environment totally free of pollution - for the Manufacturing Training and Technology Center and $2 million for patient care equipment at the UNM Health Sciences Center.

UNM would reserve $2 million for Phase III construction at the Taos branch, $1.2 million for infrastructure improvements and Phase I construction at the Valencia branch and $750,000 for infrastructure at the Gallup branch.

The Associated Students of UNM Senate endorsed the bonds last week and urged students to vote in favor of the bill.

"It will bring UNM about $13 million," Sen. Tim Serna said. "It won't hurt the pocket book of the people of New Mexico and it will bring a lot of revenue to UNM without a whole lot of cost to the community."

Gonzalez said that only property owners would be affected by the repayment of the bonds, which would be covered by an increase of about 43 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value. Gonzalez explained that this means if a student owns $100,000 worth of property, it would cost that student about $11 per year if passed.

"It will impact students if they are home owners," she said. "If a student owns property, then it will affect them."

The bond will also provide $4.7 million for upgrades to the Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute campus and funding for the State Schools for Deaf and Visually Handicapped, full-day kindergarten for public schools and will help schools meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Gonzalez said that educational bonds such as this one have usually been successful.

"The voters in the past have been very supportive and we're always hopeful for a large turnout," she said.