College bonds pass

The first bond measure in the 80-year history of the Yuba Community College District passed with about 900 votes more than needed, officials said Monday.

The sheer size of the district delayed the announcement as election officials in eight counties worked to certify the results of the Nov. 7 ballot. Measure J required a supermajority -- 55 percent -- to pass.

As of Monday, official results were available everywhere but Lake County, whose final tally is expected today. That won't affect the outcome, as the $190 million measure captured more than 56 percent of the total vote.

"We needed 35,618 (votes) and we have received significantly more than that, even though we have not received final numbers from Lake County," Miriam Root, spokeswoman for Yuba College, said Monday. "We are extremely optimistic, because of the large margin of victory, that Measure J will be successful."

Yuba County is the lead county for the measure, so after the total is counted and verified today by the registrar -- the 28-day limit allowed by law -- the college can start planning work on its facilities.

Root said Lake was the only county not to have turned in a final number for unspecified reasons. The unofficial tally Monday showed 3,922 votes for the measure, or 58.2 percent.

Measure J also garnered healthy majorities in the counties with the greatest numbers of college district voters -- Yuba, Sutter and Yolo -- though Yuba voters fell short of the 55 percent threshold. Measure J didn't fare as well in rural counties, but with fewer residents the impact on the total vote was limited.

With the counting all but over, Paul Mendoza, president of Yuba College in Linda, was happy with the look of things Monday.

"The passage of Measure J is a great achievement, not only for Yuba College, but for the Yuba-Sutter area as well," he said.

Root said the district will begin implementing its facilities master plan immediately.

"We have to work it all out, but what it will mean to Yuba College in Linda is $88 million to renovate and upgrade existing facilities and build new ones, and the $31 million will be dedicated to building the first permanent Yuba College facility in Sutter County," Root explained.

The most recent work done at the college was the $10 million upgrade and modernization of the 800 building, or science wing, with similar upgrades planned this summer for the liberal arts wing. The money for both projects comes from state and matching funds.