YES ON MEASURE UP
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions about Measure UP? Take a closer look
WHAT WILL MEASURE UP DO?
WILL MEASURE UP INCREASE TAX RATES?
HOW WILL TAXPAYERS KNOW FUNDS ARE SPENT PROPERLY?
Measure UP is a community college facilities improvement extension measure on the November 3, 2026 ballot that will provide locally controlled funding for Pasadena City College to upgrade aging facilities and maintain affordable, high-quality education for students without increasing tax rates.
For more than 100 years, Pasadena City College has helped local students move UP — earning degrees, transferring to four-year universities, learning job skills, and building successful careers. The cost of universities keeps going UP. Each year Pasadena City College provides nearly 30,000 local students an affordable path to higher education, career training, and economic opportunity. PCC trains the nurses, firefighters, and skilled workers that keep us healthy, safe, and fuel our economy.
With the rising cost of four-year college, many students are turning to community college for local higher education at a fraction of the cost of Cal State, University of California (UC) and private universities. This requires providing up-to-date classrooms, labs and technology to meet the growing demand for education to help students complete the first two years of college affordably and transfer to Cal State or UC systems, and job and trade skills training programs for students entering careers.
While PCC has served the community well for decades, most classrooms, labs and job training facilities were built over 60 years ago and need repairs and upgrades to meet current academic, building, and safety standards. Classrooms and labs need upgrades and repairs to better prepare students for in-demand jobs in science, healthcare, nursing, engineering and skilled trades.
Measure UP provides locally controlled funding to upgrade local college classrooms, science labs and job training facilities to continue supporting affordable, quality higher education and career training local students rely upon. Voting YES on UP will:
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Repair aging roofs, plumbing, electrical systems and classrooms
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Update science labs and classrooms that help students transfer to four-year universities while saving families thousands
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Expand career training for nurses, healthcare professionals, firefighters, paramedics, construction workers, welders, plumbers, and other skilled trades on which our community depends
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Improve earthquake safety, campus security, and accessibility for people with disabilities
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Measure UP includes a clear system of accountability, including:
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NOT increasing tax rates. It continues the current tax rate.
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Keeping every dollar local. No funds can be taken by the state or federal government.
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Cannot be used for administrator salaries or pensions.
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Requiring an independent oversight committee, annual financial audits, public disclosure, and a legally binding project list so taxpayers know how every dollar is spent.
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No. Measure UP would provide locally controlled funding to repair and upgrade PCC facilities without increasing tax rates.
Measure UP would provide $485 million in locally controlled funding to update PCC classrooms and labs. Measure UP would simply extend the current bond tax rate previously approved by voters of approximately $9 per $100,000 of assessed (not market) value and would not increase tax rates.
State law does not allow for any exemptions for bond measures. However, because the cost of the measure is based on the assessed value of properties, older homeowners who have owned their homes for a long time and have lower assessed values based on the original purchase price will pay the least.
Yes. All property owners contribute to the cost of Measure UP. In fact, larger commercial and industrial properties with higher assessed values pay the most so that businesses pay their fair share of the cost to upgrade the college facilities that help train their workers.
Pasadena City College has very few options when it comes to repairing college facilities and modernizing classrooms, labs and career training facilities. The State provides very limited funding for improvements to community college facilities and the limited state funding that is available requires local matching funds. Measure UP provides the locally controlled funding that is needed to upgrade local college facilities to continue providing high-quality education to local students for job training and university transfer. Measure UP will provide the local matching funds needed to access PCC’s fair share of state matching funds.
No. Every penny from Measure UP will stay local to support Pasadena City College. None of the funds can be taken away by the State.
Yes, Measure UP will provide the local matching funds needed to qualify for state funding for facility upgrades. Without Measure UP these state funds will go to improve schools and colleges serving other communities. This will help PCC complete more facility improvements at a lower cost to local property owners.
At least 55% of those voters who cast a ballot on the measure must vote “Yes” for Measure UP to be approved.
Measure Up is endorsed by US Senator Adam Schiff, Congressmember Judy Chu, State Assemblymember John Harabedian as well as local educators, students, healthcare professionals, first responders, business leaders, community organizations, and other local elected leaders. Check the “Endorsements” page to see the growing list of supporters.
There was no official argument against Measure UP submitted and there is no known organized opposition to the measure.
You can support Measure UP by endorsing the campaign, volunteering, putting up a lawn sign or donating. Click on the “Get Involved” page to get started.
HELP LOCAL STUDENTS MOVE UP
VOTE YES ON MEASURE UP
WITHOUT INCREASING TAX RATES
Paid for by Yes on Measure UP
