This November, voters will be asked to consider approving a millage proposal that would generate approximately $40 million for capital projects at all of Lake Michigan College’s campuses.

The Benton Harbor-based community college’s board of trustees voted unanimously to place the 10-year 0.48 mill proposal on the Nov. 8 ballot during a special meeting Tuesday at the LMC Mendel Center.

The millage, if passed, would cost the owner of a home with a market value of $100,000 approximately $2 a month, or $24 a year, according to statistics provided by LMC.

Proceeds from the millage would support projects in four major categories:

• Safety and security improvements on all campuses

• Modernized classrooms on all campuses

• Student support services area improvements on all campuses

• Money-saving critical improvements and energy efficiencies

Judy Truesdell, board treasurer, said the millage is about protecting the assets of the college and making classrooms compatible with today’s new ways of learning.

“To not do that is to not show our responsibility as an institution and so I am in support of this,” she said.

Trustee Paul Bergan also spoke in favor of the millage.

“We need to give the community an opportunity to show their pride in what we’ve done here and what we’ve been able to do,” he said. “The biggest thing is we want to keep it as a point of pride and not have it dilapidated and falling down.”

The board also received a recommendation to move forward with the millage by a citizen task force committee that studied the issue for months. Task force committee member Mike Cook recommended that LMC appoint a citizen’s oversight committee to ensure funds are being used as intended.

The only negative response about the millage came from Eau Claire resident Ken Schneider, who said during the public comment portion of the meeting that the millage would place too great a burden on taxpayers like himself.

“You want more, more, more money,” he said. “How can us retired taxpayers do anything? We didn’t get any increase in our Social Security.”

In a press release, college representatives said the millage represents the final step of a multi-phase approach by LMC to raise as much funding as possible for priority projects.

The college has raised almost $7.5 million in private and public donations in support of the Hanson Technology Center and other projects and plans to invest about $24 million of general fund monies in future projects.

In the press release, LMC said the millage would help the college offset a reduction in state aid and help keep tuition low for students and families.

As for timing, LMC chose to place the millage on the November ballot based on an immediate need for improvements, according to the press release. It also chose November because of increasing construction costs and historically low borrowing costs.

LMC said early polling by the college indicates voter support from LMC’s voter district, which includes Berrien County, South Haven Public School District and Covert Township.

The college is also expecting a large turnout for the election, which it says will give more people an opportunity to have a voice in shaping LMC’s future.

LMC has never had a capital millage and it has been 20 years since LMC received a new operating millage (0.25 mills in 1996).

LMC’s current millage is the 24th lowest millage among Michigan’s 28 community colleges. If the new millage passes, the college would still rank 21st in the State.

For more information, visit the college website, at www.lakemichigancollege.edu/millage. Questions and comments can be sent to growinglmc@gmail.com.