COLLEGE DISTRICT BOND BOOSTED BY QUIRK IN LAW.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

A $980 million bond issue aimed at upgrading facilities at Los Angeles community colleges likely will benefit from little public scrutiny, extremely low voter turnout and a 55 percent approval threshold.

Proposition AA is the only bond measure on the May 20 ballot and there are only four runoff elections: one for the Los Angeles school board, two for the Los Angeles City Council and one for the community college board.

Because of a quirk in the law, voters won't see ballot arguments opposing the bond - the second one in two years for the community college district.

``The low visibility of the measure is more likely to help it pass, because it avoids public scrutiny,'' said Arnold Steinberg, a Calabasas-based political strategist.

``It's very hard to get opposition, particularly when something is on the ballot all by itself.''

The bond also will benefit because of low voter turnout, strong union support and scarce opposition, political observers predicted.

The bond is also likely to pass because the ballot will not feature opposing arguments. The deadline for placing opposing arguments on the ballot was Feb. 24 - eight days before anyone knew whether the bond issue would be on the May 20 ballot.

College board members approved placing the bond issue on the ballot only if there was a runoff for the board. The May ballot will feature a runoff between college trustee Mona Field and challenger Joyce Burrell Garcia.

Only 8.8 percent of voters in the LACCD district showed up for that March primary election.

Frank Martinez, executive officer in the City Clerk's Office, predicted turnout could run as high as 20 percent to 35 percent in areas with a city council runoff, but only 10 percent to 15 percent in areas where the college board runoff and the bond issue are the only items on the ballot.

The bond has attracted the opposition of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization's executive committee. Both groups argue the college district deprived voters of a reasonable opportunity to submit a ballot argument against the measure.

But the bond needs only 55 percent approval to pass, making it easy for supporters - including organized labor - to turn out in droves, political experts said.

Barbara Dab, communications director for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, predicted union members would overwhelmingly support the measure.

``Community colleges have been a high priority for working people in particular, because they're one of the doorways to a successful life and getting a leg up on education,'' she said. ``We are absolutely committed to helping support the community colleges in any way.''

College district officials are touting Proposition AA as a companion to Proposition A, a $1.2 billion, six-year bond issue that voters approved in April 2001 to modernize the system's aging campuses.

Officials said the new bond is needed because the $1.2 billion will pay for only about 65 percent of the promised projects.

``The end result will be community colleges that are equal to the best in the country, like Dallas and Phoenix,'' said Mark Drummond, chancellor of the nine-campus district. ``Our education plans have been laid out for the next 20 years as far as what we need to teach, and we'll have first-rate facilities adequate to handle the next 20 years of students.''

But Kris Vosburgh of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association disagreed with the need for the new bond, arguing it would place an additional burden on taxpayers who are coping with a new property tax for Los Angeles county trauma care and state and local education bonds.

``Many of us are struggling in this economy to make ends meet and keep roofs over our own heads and feed our families, and these additional amounts of money represent a considerable amount of sacrifice, particularly when you add them all together,'' Vosburgh said.

The proposed bond would raise property taxes $11.45 per $100,000 of assessed valuation or about $34 a year. Proposition A added about $43 a year on the average home.

Both bonds won't be paid off until fiscal year 2031-32, but because the bonds won't be issued all at once, the $14.53 and $11.45 amounts are the maximum, and will decline over time as the bonds are retired, said Darry Sragow, bond campaign consultant with Public Strategies.

Drummond also noted that the district is limited to no more than $25 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, and the two bond issues combined won't be more than that.

Despite the threat of higher taxes, Sherman Oaks political consultant Larry Levine predicted the bond would receive favorable support - particularly in education-rich areas like the San Fernando Valley, home to three community colleges.

``People tend to support education, particularly community colleges,'' Levine said. ``The Los Angeles Community College District has gained a lot of respectability, particularly the existing board. It's a reasonable request for a reasonable amount of money to do work that's needed, and I think voters will support it.''

Support for the bond measure, Drummond noted, also has been strong among such groups as the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Industry and Commerce Association.

``Clearly, we're a business organization and for us, it's about having people who are well prepared to work in business so we'll have a strong work force,'' said Gail Schaper-Gordon, chair of VICA's education committee.

``There are some excellent courses that are already available, as well as some programs that are being developed and enhanced to meet both the needs of the employers as well as the future employees.''