FAQs and and Key Points General Info on the Connect NC Bond Package: •
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Bond package is a bipartisan initiative proposed initially by Governor McCrory as Connect NC and later enhanced by the General Assembly. Total amount is $4.6 billion, of which $2 billion for capital will be financed through a bond referendum and $2.6 billion will be a pay as we go cash program for transportation. The $2 billion capital portion includes financing for major projects for the UNC System, Community Colleges, Parks and Natural Resources, Agriculture, National Guard, and Water and Sewer. The bond is expected to create 4,300 new full-­‐time jobs throughout the state. Of the roughly $980 million in the bond designated for the 16 UNC system campuses, $110 million is for the replacement of Western Carolina University’s Natural Sciences Building. The Bond Referendum is scheduled for March 15th during the State primary. What is in the bond for Western North Carolina? •
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The Bond is a REGIONAL solution for REGIONAL development For WNC, the Bond includes at a minimum $175 million for regional projects: Project County Estimated Cost AB Tech Community College Buncombe $5.5 million Tri-­‐County Community College Cherokee/Clay/Graham $4.5 million Haywood Community College Haywood $2.8 million Blue Ridge Community College Henderson $2.9 million Western Carolina University Jackson $110 million Southwestern Community College Jackson $7.1 million Isothermal Community College Rutherford $6.8 million Chimney Rock State Park Rutherford/Polk/Buncombe/Henderson $1.5 million Gorges State Park Transylvania $2.5 million UNC Asheville (a portion of R&R) Buncombe $21 million • In addition to the named projects, there is roughly $300 million in the Bond designated for water and sewer infrastructure loan and grant programs, which are anticipated to be largely directed to rural counties. Will passage of the Bond have a negative effect on you, your community, or the State? •
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Passage of the Bond will NOT result in any new taxes. North Carolina’s credit rating will remain Triple A even after issuing a $2 billion Bond. Because of historically low interest rates and the retirement of existing debt, issuance of the $2 billion Bond will NOT increase the total tax-­‐supported debt in the state beyond what it is today. The Bond` amount is still well below the suggested state limit for debt service as a percentage of General Fund revenue. What is wrong with WCU’s current Science facilities? •
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WCU has only one Natural Sciences Building and it is in very poor shape. The current structure was built in the 1970s, and is as threadbare as the bellbottoms some of us wore then. What we have currently is more than just out-­‐of-­‐fashion and outdated, it is detrimental. We can’t patch or repair anymore. We are simply out of space and cannot adequately accommodate these workforce-­‐
related majors in science, technology, engineering math and computer science, without more space and better space. In the 1970s when the current NSB was built, WCU had 15 nursing majors. Now, we have well over 400 undergraduate nursing majors, nearly 150 pre-­‐nursing majors, and between 100 and 150 graduate nursing students. When the existing structure was built, WCU had no engineering or engineering technology degrees. Now we do, with four degrees, one of which has three concentrations, and they are all thriving. What is the personal and financial benefit for people of WNC and NC? •
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Today, WCU enrolls some 10,400 students, of whom roughly 2,300 are majoring in health and human science programs, almost 600 in technology and engineering programs, and approximately 500 in biological and physical science programs. There are people with a personal stake in passing this bond referendum -­‐-­‐ the students in nursing and health sciences, engineering, forensic science and others, who must take courses in biology, chemistry and physics. They must learn state of the art technology, to work with advanced methods. They need to learn in 21st century classrooms and laboratories. These are the young people from our mountain counties, our sons and daughters, our neighbors, who will make up the workforce of the future. We are at a pivotal point in deciding their future. We need to vote yes to invest in that future. We know that far too many of our young people enroll at Western Carolina University to earn a degree in a STEM discipline, but end up moving away from the mountains in order to find a job in their chosen field. Over the years, we’ve come to call this phenomenon “the brain drain.” Too many of our best and brightest minds are forced to leave their families and their communities if they want to enjoy successful careers. One of the reasons that we have added engineering to our menu of academic majors is to help provide the educated workforce needed to attract high-­‐paying jobs to the region. We’ve already seen this at play in the fast-­‐growing Interstate 26 corridor between Asheville and Hendersonville. It was because of the demand by business and industry in that area that we expanded our existing on-­‐campus engineering program to our off-­‐campus instructional site in Biltmore Park. If we are able to grow the number of students who are able to study in STEM disciplines through the expanded opportunities offered by a new state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art science building, we also will be able to grow the workforce not only in engineering, but also in the health sciences, natural sciences and technology sector. Having a larger highly trained workforce in these fields will help attract more business and industry to Western North Carolina, creating more job opportunities and stimulating the economies of our mountain communities. In 2014-­‐15, WCU awarded 59 degrees in biology, with another 10 masters degrees in biology. There were 25 degrees in emergency medical care, 26 in nutrition and dietetics, 43 in recreational therapy, 23 in communication sciences and disorders, and I think this is most telling, 107 in nursing. Let me repeat that – 107 nursing degrees. •
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There were 22 chemistry degrees, 12 in forestry science, 10 in electrical engineering and another 23 in engineering technology. A highly trained workforce in these STEM fields is the leverage that community and economic development leaders need to attract more companies and quality jobs to locate in Western North Carolina. A workforce that is competent, capable and local. For Western North Carolina to compete at the state and national level, and on the global stage, we need successful students who graduate ready to face the world, whether they will be employed in agriculture, technology, construction, or healthcare or other fields. We must provide the best instruction in math, science, engineering and technology. Let’s apply some additional numbers related to WCU’s regional economic impact. WCU produces an annual economic impact of $511 million in its 10-­‐county service region, according to a 2012-­‐13 study released by UNC General Administration. ###