NEWS
ECC referendum narrowly wins
in The Courier News
Elgin Community College's request for a tax increase to fund capital improvements hung in the balance as ballot counts teetered first one way and then another late Tuesday, but ultimately it won by just 29 votes.
With all 269 precinct reporting, unofficial results showed the referendum won with 19,456 voting yes and 19,427 voting no.
On its Website early Wednesday, ECC pointed out the results do not include tallies of absentee ballots and that results may not be final until the ballots are certified on April 22... more
SG and ECC referenda pass, 3 others fail
in Northwest Herald
The Elgin Community College district referendum passed by only 29 votes, with 19,456 in favor and 19,427 against it. The $178 million referendum is slated to pay for campus upgrades and renovations... more
Vote 'yes' on ECC referendum
The Daily Herald Endorses Referendum
Elgin Community College has put forth a strong argument for a tax increase in a horrible economy when many are facing job loss and foreclosure: ECC is where careers are reborn.
While we look skeptically at any government body asking for more money during this economic crisis, we view this as a worthwhile investment that will help fill a void in the workplace and put more people to work. And the $178 million investment, spread out over the five counties ECC serves, is modest. About $25 in the first year for the owner of a $200,000 house... more
Detailing ECC's referendum video
on The Daily Herald Site watch
COMMUNITY LEADERS URGE:‘SAY YES TO JOBS – VOTE ECC’
Training expansion would fuel 4,000 jobs, strengthen workforce
PRESS RELEASE
ELGIN – Business, labor, health care, public safety and other Fox Valley community leaders stood together Wednesday in urging area voters to say “Yes to Jobs” and vote “yes” for expanding critical job-training programs at Elgin Community College in the April 7 municipal elections.
Addressing a crowd of sign-waving supporters in the city’s downtown, speakers representing a cross-section of the community stressed that if approved, “Yes to Jobs” will result in more than 4,000 local jobs and a skilled workforce that can compete for high-quality employment.
ECC has pledged that every dollar gained through the bond referendum will be invested directly into the local economy through building and capital projects – and not used for operating expenses.
“This is about creating good jobs, training our workforce and strengthening our local economy,” said Nathaniel Edmond, “Yes to Jobs” Co-Chairman and Pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Elgin. “We are moving forward with this initiative now because we simply cannot afford not to.”
Community Colleges nationally train the majority of health care and public safety professionals, and ECC continues to see tremendous growth in both fields. As a result, the College is unable to admit applicants, even as demand grows in those industries. “Jobs Now” will expand that training, moving students off waiting lists and into available jobs as nurses, fire fighters and paramedics.
That not only provides an economic benefit for the region, but also strengthens the network of health providers and first responders that serve the community. For more information on the initiative, visit www.voteecc.com.
“ECC is at the forefront of workforce training in this region, of proving residents with the skills they need to compete for good jobs,” said Fred Norris, “Yes to Jobs” Co-Chairman and the former Mayor of St. Charles. “That is why so many of our community leaders have come together in support of this effort, and why we urge voters to ‘say yes to jobs’ on April 7.”
