BY MIKE HOLTZCLAW
Chancellor
UNM-Los Alamos
In 2026, earning a certificate or degree is an economic necessity for a lot of people. According to The Lumina Foundation, a community college education returns about $4.80 in future income for every dollar a student invests. General Obligation Bond 3 will help New Mexico students reach these milestones and move our state ahead.|
This year’s GO Bond for Higher Education will fund degrees and initiatives that help our entire state. A new medical school will train double the number of doctors to meet our physician shortage. A reforestation center in Mora County will help rebuild areas affected by wildfires and floods.
In fact, GO Bond 3 funding is earmarked for specific projects in 25 communities across 22 counties in New Mexico, creating more than 3,500 new jobs and adding to the tax bases in those cities and counties. Plus, workers on these projects will put money back into the communities.
In our own community, Bond 3 will provide $3 million to UNM-Los Alamos for the complete renovation of Building 1, transforming it into a safe, modern and efficient space that better
serves the community. And, all of this will be possible without raising the property tax rates that voters are paying now.
In many cases, GO Bond funding is the only source of money available for basic renovations, including replacing failing roofs, crumbling parking lots and heating and cooling systems near or past their useful lifespans. Bond funding also pays for upgrading technology to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and other educational programs as well as allow colleges and universities to provide remote learning to rural students.
If approved by voters, GO Bond 3 would support our students, our workforce, our communities and our economy – all without raising property tax rates.
For more information about specific projects around the state and how passage of GO Bond 3
will have a positive impact on New Mexico, visit www.HigherEdBond3.com.
Holtzclaw has more than 30 years of experience in higher education serving community colleges in California, Oregon and New Mexico including his current position at UNM-Los Alamos where he’s has served as chancellor since July 2022.