Lane Community College Education Association

LCC Faculty Colleagues,

Please find below and attached essential information about the proposed FY26 budget. The Budget Committee, comprised of Board of Education members and their 7 community member appointees, will be meeting again today at 5 p.m. in the Boardroom.

In particular, please note the following.

It is entirely possible to balance the budget in a more reasonable, realistic, accurate manner, which the Administration, including all of the highest ranking administrator positions, and all stakeholder groups did collaboratively and with unanimous agreement just two weeks prior to the May 7 release of the dramatically changed budget.

Unfortunately, the Administration has already provided notice yesterday of one faculty retrenchment to take effect in Winter 2026 and appears to be implementing one partial retrenchment for next year as well. This is not necessary and is the direct result of the Administration adding excess expenditures, excess expense estimates and newly created positions as well as by making significant other changes to the proposed budget in a two week period prior to May 7, which create a budget that would use $3.1M in reserves, rather than presenting a balanced budget for the Board and Budget Committee to consider.

In solidarity,

Adrienne

Forecast Modeling Tool–FY25-29 a/o 05/01/25 BDS

LCCEA faculty members,

The future of our beloved LCC is on the ballot. 

LCCEA proudly endorses:

Austin Folnagy,

Devon Lawson,

Jesse Maldonado &

Jerry Rust

who are candidates by the people and for the people.

With four seats up for election for the LCC Board of Education and the current dysfunction of the Board, Board elections have never been more critically important. The May 20 special election will determine whether our community’s college continues to thrive as an open-access institution that serves the people of this County.

Ballots are due May 20. Please be sure to vote. 

As the governing body for our college, the Board of Education makes critical decisions that affect all of us, our students, and the community beyond. These include: approving the annual budget, approving new programs, making decisions on program and service cuts, setting the tuition rate, and establishing our contract with salaries, benefits, and so much more.

Folnagy, Lawson, Maldonado, and Rust have demonstrated a commitment to: public service, the critical oversight role of the Board of Education, and representational democracy. All four are endorsed by LCCEA, LCCEF, OEA, the Eugene Weekly, the Western States’ Carpenters’ union and countless trusted local, state, and national elected officials and community organizations. (More details below.)

While Folnagy, Lawson, Maldonado, and Rust are running grassroots campaigns powered by the people, their opponents are taking large donations from special interests which are pouring in to their campaigns, including: at least one out-of-state donor, the former CEO of PeaceHealth hospitals, leaders or owners affiliated with large capital investment, real estate, development, and construction corporations such as Obie, Wildish, and Eugene Sand and Gravel, as well as oil, timber, and logging companies, and a VIP airplane electronics manufacturing corporation, among others. (Note: all campaign finance information is publicly available on the Oregon Secretary of State’s website.)

Some opponents of our endorsed candidates have been mired in controversy, including an LCC Board incumbent who had her endorsement for the Board rescinded by the Democratic Party of Lane County (DPLC), requiring a 2/3 majority vote to rescind the endorsement.  This means the voter’s pamphlet is out-of-date and no longer accurate after the revocation of her endorsement by the Democratic Party. In addition, Jerry Rust’s opponent has been endorsed by Ryan Ceniga and David Loveall, the Lane County Commissioner who, according to EW reports, was part of a small group carrying AR-15 style rifles intimidating peaceful BLM march participants in downtown Springfield. 

Are you willing to put our students’ futures and our own livelihoods in the hands of these special interests?

Our answer must be a resounding, “no.” 

LCC is not for sale.

Read more below on our LCCEA-endorsed candidates: Austin Folnagy, Devon Lawson, Jesse Maldonado, and Jerry Rust and look for messages from LCCEA Political and Legislative Chair, Rosa Lopez on how you can sign up to support the campaigns or for copies of flyers.

Jerry Rust, who served as a Lane County Commissioner for twenty years, is endorsed by Congresswoman Val Hoyle, Democratic Party of Lane County, Florence Democratic Club, the Mayor of Florence, former Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, and many more, and is committed to working across differences and party lines to bring stability, reasonableness, and function to the Board.

Devon Lawson is a current student from rural Lane County, who brings both an essential perspective and significant experience in education policy, having testified on more than 200 bills in Salem. His endorsements include: State Representatives John Lively, Farrah Chaichi, and Rob Nosse; the National Democratic Municipal Officials; Florence Democratic Club, NW Labor Press, 4j Board members Rabasa and Thessen, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, among others.

Austin Folnagy is a current LCC Board member and President of the Oregon Community College Association. His endorsements include the Democratic Party of Lane County, Congresswoman Val Hoyle, former US Congressman Peter DeFazio, the Working Families Party, State Senator Manning, Iron-Workers and Electrical Workers Unions, SEIU 503, five Eugene City Councilors, PCUN, and Eugene Tenants Alliance.

Jesse Maldonado is running unopposed and brings a wealth of policy experience as a former City Councilor in Lewiston, Idaho and an adjunct professor in Public Policy at UO. Jesse enjoys support from Congresswoman Val Hoyle, Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudsen, former Mayor Lucy Vinis, Oregon AFL-CIO, National Democratic Municipal Officials, Lane Professional Firefighters Association, and the Color PAC, among others.

Please be sure to mail your ballot in before May 20.

In solidarity,

Adrienne

Website: lccea.org 
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lccea/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LCCEAAction/Threads: www.threads.net/@lccea

LCCEA backgrounds for Zoom: https://lccea.org/2022/04/15/zoom-your-solidarity-with-lccea-backgrounds/
Lane Community College Education AssociationLCCEA is the faculty union representing the 200 full-time and 375 part-time faculty of Lane Community College.
Our mission

LCCEA engages in collective action to ensure an equitable learning and working environment and advocates for social justice and systemic change for the public good.

“The future of our beloved LCC is on the ballot. The outcome of this election will determine whether Lane Community College continues to thrive as an open-access institution that serves the people of Lane County. Our message to the donors and anti-union interests making outsized donations to LCC Board candidates is clear: LCC is not for sale,” stated LCCEA President Adrienne Mitchell.