COLLEGE OF THE DESERT

Almost 20 years ago the City of Palm Springs and the College of the Dessert celebrated the announcement by COD that they would be building a campus in Palm Springs. Over the course of the subsequent years COD Trustees came to the City asking for assistance to pass two Bond Measures that were purportedly going to be used for COD expansion. The City and its residents voted to tax themselves so that some of the funds could be used to finally build the West Valley
Campus. Approximately $340 million was to be set aside from the second Bond issue of over 1 million to build that campus. The City purchased land in the North End to house the campus for 2 Million and gifted it to COD.

Fast forward to today and we have neither a campus nor the land that the City purchased. COD decided not to build on the land that was purchased specifically for that purpose, and chose not to give it back to the City. Instead, they bought the old Mall on Tahquitz and Farrell, again promising to build a campus. That land still sits vacant and empty.

To this day, and due to the negligence of those in charge of building the West Valley campus of College of the Desert, many of the residents in District 1, and the City at-large, have lost close to 20 years of opportunities for themselves and their children. Generations of families have been denied access to quality higher education, job training, and direct pipelines to careers which would include, but should not be limited to, the hospitality and service industry.

When I am elected to the City Council I will:

  • Take a leadership role in holding the College of the Desert accountable for its mishandling of the development of the West campus in Palm Springs and demand that they give the residents of the West Valley the promised educational experiences.

  • Make sure College of the Desert builds the campus, as promised, with the size, scope, and programs that were presented to the people of Palm Springs.

  • Start the legal process to take back land that we gave College of the Desert – we should not be buying land that we, the people of Palm Springs, have already paid for.