Portage Campus Would Benefit from Madison College Ballot Measure

Portage Campus Would Benefit from Madison College Ballot Measure

By Lyn Jerde, Daily Register | Posted: Sunday, September 19, 2010

Madison College President Bettsey Barhorst made her case for the college's Nov. 2 referendum to the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, anticipating concerns about asking taxpayers for more money in tough times.

Madison College, formerly known as Madison Area Technical College, has one of its nine campuses in Portage, and Columbia County is one of 12 counties in its district.

That's why, on Nov. 2, Columbia County voters will find on their general election ballots a Madison College bond referendum for nearly $134 million - money that is needed for improvements and expansions, Barhorst told the supervisors Wednesday.

Roger Price, Madison College's vice president for infrastructure services, said the referendum, if approved, would cost the owner of a $190,910 home - the 2008 average value for a house in Columbia County - about $25.75 per year.

Although tough times might make the referendum a tough sell, Barhorst said, tough times are precisely why the college needs to improve and expand.

People who have lost their jobs or who are seeking additional training in the hope of keeping their jobs, are flocking to Madison College, she said.

Of Madison College's 140 programs, Barhorst said, more than 65 have waiting lists. That includes all of the programs related to health-care professions, she said.

More than $43 million of the proposed referendum money would go toward expansion of the Health Services Education Center and Clinic at the college's Truax Campus in northeast Madison.

Facilities for Protective Services education programs - such as firefighting, law enforcement and emergency medical technicians - would account for another $21.68 million, Price said.

The Portage campus would be one of the beneficiaries of a proposed $7.28 million in renovations for several campuses outside Madison, which would entail bringing a program for heating, air condition and ventilation training to Portage by the spring of 2011, he said.

Madison College also intends to be a key participant in the new business incubator that's under construction now in Portage's industrial park, where the college plans to offer training in robotics and manufacturing skills, Price said.

Expansion of facilities for other programs, and additional parking for the Madison campuses, account for the remainder of the $133.77 referendum.

Price noted that the college's expansion plan had been in the making for several years, starting before the economy began declining.

But the decline of the economy, Barhorst said, increases the need for the expansion, and puts construction costs and interest rates at an all-time low.

Supervisors took no vote on the matter, because it's up to the Madison College board, and not the supervisors, whether the referendum appears on Columbia County ballots.

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