(Radio Iowa) – Voters in 59 counties are deciding bond referendums in this year’s election. Iowa Western Community College president Daniel Kinney says his school is presenting voters with a 55 million dollar plan that does not raise taxes, but maintains a current property tax levy. The plan would expand Iowa Western’s dual enrollment program, so more students could earn college credits while they’re still in high school. It also would double student slots in key transportation-related programs on the Council Bluffs campus and expand other training options.

“The ability to really look and focus on career and technical education programs such as diesel tech, auto tech, welding, our CDL program, H-VAC,” he says, “all those type of needed skills that every one of our rural communities need.” Expiring bonds would be replaced with new bonds financed under current tax rates in the community college district. “This would allow us to just basically hold our tax levy rate at the current rate we’re at,” Kinney says.

If the plan’s approved, a Transportation Building on Iowa Western’s Council Bluffs campus would be built to house a new transportation logistics program as well as diesel, automotive and C-D-L training programs. Industrial training labs also would be created and other facilities in Atlantic, Clarinda and Council Bluffs would be renovated. Kinney says the over-arching goal is to respond to gaps in Iowa’s workforce.

“Somebody to come in and fix your car or fix your tractor and stuff like that,” Kinney says. “…CDL — I mean having the drivers out there to get the products into our communities, but also having our product outside what’s being manufactured in our local communities.”

Thirty-one public school districts have bond issues on this year’s General Election ballot. A 165-million dollar plan would consolidate Waterloo’s two high schools. Residents in five counties and nine cities will also decide bonding for local projects, including a new fire station in Fort Madison, a recreation complex in Boone, and a new county jail in Sac County.