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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, December 27, 2008 Could Snohomish County fund its own college? By Jerry Cornfield Herald Writer OLYMPIA -- A Lake Stevens lawmaker frustrated by the state's inability to found a university in Snohomish County wants to give residents a shot at doing it themselves. Democratic Sen. Steve Hobbs is drafting legislation to establish an independent four-year polytechnic college in the county with no state money going to its construction and initial operation. Instead, decisions on a site, campus design, faculty, class offerings and degree choices would be made by a board of trustees drawn from a cross-section of the community. And funding would come from hiking the county sales tax up to two-tenths of 1 percent, or 2 cents on a $10 purchase. The Snohomish County Council could act to raise the tax or put it on a ballot for voters to decide, under Hobbs' proposal. "This bill allows the community and county leaders to make the decision rather than those in Olympia who may not have the interests of the community at heart," he said. Hobbs said residents are losing out, as once-promising efforts to land a University of Washington branch campus are tied up in a dispute on a location. Now he's concerned the state's fragile fiscal condition may doom them to waiting years more for a full-fledged university unless they get the chance to intervene directly. Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon shares the concern. "This is the first meaningful proposal that gets to the heart of what this community has been talking about for decades," he said. "We want the state to do their job and to build and operate a new college. The state has proven that they are incapable of making it happen," he said. "The Legislature needs to give us the tools to build a college if they are not going to be able to do it." Newly elected Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, is drafting a companion bill in the House of Representatives. "Overall, I think Sen. Hobbs is making a very good effort to bring a college to Snohomish County," he said. "It does give the people the opportunity to decide if they want this college." Two lawmakers immersed in trying to secure the branch campus say they are still focused on that goal in 2009 and are skeptical of Hobbs' alternative approach. "I doubt it will gain much traction," said Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, vice chairman of the House Higher Education Committee. "It's a creative idea and it ought to have a hearing, though." If the polytechnic college is intended to serve the entire state, then the state should pay for it, he said. Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, a one-time booster of an independently run university, said she was "not particularly" enamored with the proposal. Hobbs introduced a similar bill too late in the 2008 session to be considered. The legislation would create a higher education investment district whose leaders would be the board of trustees. It embraces a community group's recommendation in 2006 for a polytechnic university to serve residents in north Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties. If the latter two counties join the investment district, they also must levy the higher sales tax to share the costs. Science, math and technology would theoretically be a focal point of instruction at what Hobbs is calling Snohomish Polytechnical College. Hobbs' proposal requires half the enrollment slots go to students from communities in the investment district for as long as the higher sales tax is collected. He estimated the tax could generate $22 million a year in Snohomish County alone. Up to $400 million in bonds could be sold and paid off with that stream of revenue, he said. Once all the bonds are paid, he envisions control of the college ceding to the state unless the Legislature decided to let the institution remain independently run and financed. The bill also sets a deadline of Oct. 1, 2010 to get the special district formed, trustees appointed and a location selected. If those things don't happen "it's over," he said. "This has been going on for many years," Hobbs said. "Now this says to the community 'if you really want it, here is an opportunity and if you don't want it, we'll move on.' " Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com. Snohomish Polytechnical College The bill would: n Create a higher education investment district to build and run the college; n Require voter approval of a two-tenths-of-one-percent hike in county sales tax to pay for it. n Guarantee 50 percent of its enrollment slots to students in the district boundaries as long as the tax is imposed n Expire Oct. 1, 2010, if the district is not formed and a site for the college is not chosen. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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