Legislative Analyst's Office

Analysis of the 2000-01 Budget Bill
California Community Colleges (6870)

The proposed 2000-01 capital outlay program for the California Community Colleges totals $290.2 million from the general obligation bonds approved by the voters in November 1998. This amount includes $283.6 million for 68 projects that have been previously funded by the Legislature and $6.6 million for 14 projects that are proposed to the Legislature for the first time. The estimated future cost to complete all projects in the budget is $77.7 million. Figure 1 shows the types of projects proposed in the community college program.
Figure 1
California Community Colleges

2000-01 Capital Outlay Programa

(Dollars in Thousands)
Type of Project Number of

Projects

Budget Bill

Amount

Estimated

Future Cost

Fire and Life Safety 1 $2,800 --
Seismic Corrections 17 17,778 $19,054
Equipment 29 15,764 --
Site Development and Utilities 3 12,241 --
Libraries 11 132,326 21,032
Undergraduate Instructional Improvements 21 109,177 37,655
Totals 82 $290,086 $77,741
a Figure does not include $108,000 request for planning and studies.

Planning and Studies

We recommend the Legislature delete a $108,000 augmentation for statewide planning and studies because the Chancellor's Office has not substantiated the need for these additional funds. (Delete $108,000 from Item 6870-301-0574 [1].)

We recommend the Legislature delete the request for $108,000 for planning and studies because no information has been provided to justify why additional funds are needed for these purposes. For each state-funded capital outlay project, the Chancellor's Office charges each community college district a fee (based on cost of construction) for its staff services. These fees are included in each approved capital outlay project. Consequently, funds are available for the Chancellor's Office project-specific costs. General planning is the responsibility of the Chancellor's Office staff who are funded in the support budget. Consequently, these activities are funded in the support appropriation for the Chancellor's Office. Therefore, we recommend the Legislature delete the requested $108,000 augmentation under Item 6870-301-0574 (1).

Library Projects Over Budget

We recommend the Legislature reduce the construction funding request for three library projects by a total of $2,176,000 because the requested amounts exceed the costs recognized by the Legislature when working drawing funds were approved in 1999-00 and no explanation for the increases has been provided. (Delete $933,000 from Item 6870-301-0574 [10]; delete $737,000 from Item 6870-301-0574 [24]; and delete $506,000 from Item 6870-301-0574 [41].)

Three library projects are proposed in the budget for construction funding at costs that are higher than recognized by the Legislature when working drawing funds were approved in the 1999-00 Budget Act. These projects and the increased costs are shown in Figure 2 (see next page).

No information has been submitted to explain the reason for these increases. Therefore, we recommend the construction appropriations proposed in the budget be reduced to the estimated construction costs (adjusted for inflation) recognized by the Legislature at the time funding for working drawings was approved in the 1999-00 Budget Act.
Figure 2
California Community Colleges

Library Projects Overbudgeted

(Dollars in Thousands)
District/Project 1999-00 ConstructionAmounta Budget Bill Amount 2000-01 Budget Bill Increase
Amount Percent
Compton Community College District, Compton College, Seismic Replacement/ Expansion LRC $8,551 $9,484 $933 10.1%
Kern Community College District, Cerro Coso College, Library/Media Center Addition 7,537 8,274 737 9.8
Mira Costa Community College District, Mira Costa College, Learning and Information Hub 10,454 11,128 506 4.8
a Adjusted for inflation.


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