Chemeketa Community College is renewing efforts for a $140 million bond measure in May 2025, seeking to upgrade aging facilities and expand high-demand training programs — all without raising property taxes.
College leaders describe the measure as a straightforward renewal of the 2008 bond, which is set to expire. The current tax rate of 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value would remain unchanged if voters approve the measure. A similar proposal failed narrowly in November 2024, and President Jessica Howard attributed the loss to confusion among voters who believed it represented a tax increase [1].
The new bond would fund campus-wide projects across Chemeketa’s 2,500-square-mile district, which includes Marion, Polk, Yamhill and parts of Linn counties. The college serves more than 12,000 students annually and operates multiple campuses, including in Salem, Woodburn, Brooks, and McMinnville [2].
Planned projects include a new Trades Training Center to expand career pathways in skilled trades such as welding and construction. The college also aims to double its paramedic training capacity to meet regional workforce shortages in emergency medical services [3].
Other investments include a science laboratory at the Woodburn campus, enabling students to complete their associate degrees entirely on-site. The college also plans to renovate Building 7 — a facility used during the 2020 Beachie Creek Fire as an incident command center — into a dual-use student wellness and disaster response hub. An $8 million state grant toward this project hinges on passage of the bond [4].
Safety and infrastructure upgrades are also central to the measure. Chemeketa plans to improve lighting, install additional security cameras, upgrade HVAC systems, and repair aging roofs and parking lots to improve campus safety and energy efficiency [5].
College officials emphasize that Oregon community colleges lack access to endowments or major capital funding outside of bonds. If the bond fails again, Chemeketa would be forced to redirect funds from operating budgets, which could result in program cuts [6].
Beyond infrastructure, the bond measure touches on the region’s broader economic future. Chemeketa is a key workforce training provider in the Mid-Willamette Valley. A third-party economic impact study commissioned by the college reported that each dollar students invest in their Chemeketa education returns $8.50 in lifetime earnings, tax contributions and community benefit [7].
While November’s failed vote highlighted voter sensitivity to taxes, the college’s board and local leaders are hoping clearer messaging will shift public perception in time for the May election. Howard stressed that the bond is a continuation, not a tax increase. “This is about continuing to honor the investment the community has already made — not asking for more,” she said [1].
If approved, homeowners would continue paying approximately $61 annually on a home assessed at $225,000 — the same amount they pay today. If rejected, the tax will expire in 2026, resulting in a modest decrease to property tax bills but stalling campus upgrades and forfeiting the state’s $8 million match [4].
Supporters frame the bond as a pragmatic step to modernize infrastructure and equip students for a rapidly changing workforce. Critics have not mounted an organized opposition, but the decision ultimately rests with voters, who must weigh long-term regional needs against short-term savings.
The outcome will help shape Chemeketa’s ability to train nurses, firefighters, tradespeople and other vital workers — and determine how the college serves its communities for decades to come.