Deaf Today: Voters OK Four Of Five Bonds

November 6, 2002

Voters OK Four Of Five Bonds

From: Santa Fe New Mexican, New Mexico
Nov. 6, 2002

By DIANA HEIL | The New Mexican

In Tuesday's election, voters apparently rejected a general-obligation bond that would have set aside $6.6 million to improve such state buildings as National Guard armories and the Villagrá building in Santa Fe, according to preliminary results.

Bond D was apparently defeated with 58 percent of voters against it and 42 percent for the state-facility issue.

All other bonds apparently passed, with 89 percent of precincts reporting:

* Bond Question A will allocate $10.8 million for senior-center improvements at 166 locations statewide, including $361,000 for replacing an aging fleet of vehicles carrying Santa Fe seniors. The vote was 58 to 42 percent.

* Bond Question B will allocate $93.4 million for classrooms to accommodate full-day kindergarten and state college buildings and repairs. The vote was 61 to 39 percent.

* Bond Question C will allocate $16 million for public libraries and public-school libraries, including new books. The vote was 61 to 39 percent.

* Bond Question E will allocate $13.1 million for water-rights acquisition, well metering for Nambé-Pojoaque-Tesuque basin. The vote was 55 to 45 percent.

If all five questions pass, residents can expect a $17-a-year property-tax boost on a $100,000 home.

Thanks to revenue from Bond B, several institutions in Northern New Mexico will be able to replace aging buildings and make repairs.

Santa Fe Community College will have $900,000 to replace roofs.

With $5 million, new dormitories will be built at the New Mexico School for the Deaf. Students currently live in cottages that were built in the early 1900s.

New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas will tap $7.3 million toward a new science-and-technology building. Luna Community College, with $1.63 million, will bolster a healthcare-training facility.

Northern New Mexico Community College campuses in Española and El Rito will make improvements using $975,000.

And The University of New Mexico-Taos will have $2 million toward a new education center.