What is the general rule about college/employee involvement in a bond advocacy campaign?
There is one general rule of law that must be followed: A community college district may not spend its assets – cash or in-kind assets, such as use of a district copier, computer or staff-time – advocating for the passage or defeat of a bond measure. A district may, however, spend its assets providing information to the community about its facility needs and the reason for the bond election as long as such communication does not constitute “advocacy.” A violation to this law (Section 7054(c) of the Education Code) is a misdemeanor or felony punishable by a $1,000 fine and/or imprisonment up to three years. What are the rules governing employee participation in a bond information campaign? District employees and administrators may ultimately need to contribute in-kind services for the effective implementation of a bond strategy. As private citizens they are unrestricted in this effort. Also, prior to the time that a governing board adopts a resolution calling for a bond election, there
