Colleges want double tax $$ for 35% less students (No on 26-224)

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

Measure 26-224 (impacting counties in Portland Metro area) is a classic example of local colleges soaking taxpayers for more money.

In 2017, Portland Community College imposed $185 million in new property taxes for construction projects. Look at the Voters’ Pamphlet from that measure—PCC had 78,000 students.

Five years later, and now PCC wants another $485 million of your money. Look at the Explanatory Statement for this measure—today PCC has only 50,000 students. PCC’s enrollment has gone down by 35%. PCC has lost 28,000 students over the past 5 years!

PCC says some of the money will be used for “flexible hybrid learning options.” That means more online instruction and less in-class instruction. OPB reports 50% of PCC classes this fall will be a hybrid format.

PCC doesn’t need fancy building remodels if enrollment is down and many of the class are taught online.

PCC spent more than $6 million from the 2017 taxes to remodel the welding shop at Building 2 of the Rock Creek Campus. The welding shop remodel was completed just last year.

Now, according to the Portland Tribune, PCC want to use your tax money to tear down and rebuild the entire building. Apparently that $6 million of taxpayer money was wasted.

PCC is a sinking ship. It’s losing students and wasting your tax dollars. It won’t be bailed out by even more of your taxes.

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