Education Bond & UNMG

Passage of Education Bond C Means $1 Million in Water/Sewer Upgrades for UNMG

GALLUP -- This fall voters will have an opportunity to improve New Mexico’s higher
education system and benefit nearly every public college and university across the
state by supporting General Obligation Bond C. A “yes” vote on Bond C will fund
capital improvements and renovations to our higher education system and will create
an estimated 1,200 new jobs with no increase in property taxes.

Locally, the University of New Mexico-Gallup stands to gain $1 million for
much-needed water and sewer upgrades for fire and safety needs.

“State GO Bonds are especially critical for McKinley County projects," said Wynn
Goering, interim executive director of UNM-Gallup, "because we always receive a
great deal more than we put in.  They're by far the best way to meet our
infrastructure needs."

UNM-Gallup is one among New Mexico’s many aging institutions of higher education
with facilities that are badly in need of repair. In order to keep our institutions
competitive and ensure that New Mexico has an educated workforce, major capital
improvements and upgrades to existing facilities need to be made regularly.

Higher Education Bond C proposes a total of $119,400,000 for capital improvements
and renovations that will include nearly every public college and university in the
state.
A complete list of proposed projects statewide is included on a website –
www.educationbondc.com<http://www.educationbondc.com>.

General Obligation Bond C is funded with no new taxes. Campaign organizers say that
voters would, instead, see a positive economic impact due to the addition of an
estimated 1,200 jobs for architects, contractors and other workers to complete the
capital improvements.

Proponents also say that by improving our higher education buildings, New Mexico
provides a better learning environment for students and builds a more highly
educated workforce.

“No matter where you live in New Mexico, there is a school and a community that will
benefit from Bond C,” said former New Mexico Governors Garrey Carruthers and Toney
Anaya, who are statewide honorary co-chairs of the 2012 General Obligation Bond for
Education Campaign Committee. “These infrastructure improvements to our colleges and
universities are critical to maintain a high standard of education and produce the
skilled workforce that is essential in a competitive economy.”

Absentee voting begins Oct. 9, and lasts through Nov. 2. Early voting is scheduled
from Oct. 20-Nov. 3, and polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday,
November 6.

For more information about Bond C, visit
www.EducationBondC.org<http://www.EducationBondC.org>

Additionally, voters will also be deciding about Library Bond B, which if passed,
will provide the UNM-Gallup Zollinger Library with $28,942 in funds for
acquisitions. If all three ballots – which include a senior facilities ballot as
well as the above two ballots –are approved by the voters in November 2012, the
average cost to the owner of a property worth $100,000 over a 10-year period will be
$8.04 per year.  Of that $8.04 average cost per year, $6.88 is attributable to the
higher education ballot, $0.59 to the senior facilities ballot, and $0.56 to the
library acquisitions ballot.