The President shall ensure that sufficient funds are available to meet current and future debt service requirements on all indebtedness, while adequately providing for recurring operating requirements. The issuance of debt limits the college's flexibility to respond to future learning priorities; consequently, the college shall issue and manage debt in a manner which maintains a sound fiscal position, protects its creditworthiness and complies with ORS 341.675 and ORS 341.715.
To meet the objectives of this policy the president shall ensure that the college incurs and services all debts in a manner that will:
- Maintain a balanced relationship between debt service requirements and current operating needs.
- Maintain and enhance the college's ability to obtain access to credit markets, at favorable interest rates, in amounts needed for capital improvements and to provide essential learning services.
- Prudently incur and manage debt to minimize costs to the taxpayers and ensure that current decisions do not adversely affect future generations.
- Preserve the college's flexibility in capital financing by maintaining an adequate margin of statutory debt capacity.
- The College will aim to maintain an Aa Moody's bond rating, or its equivalent, to ensure continued access to credit and to reduce borrowing costs.
The board shall approve borrowing as described in Board Policy 6310. Long-term debt (due more than a year in the future) shall not be issued to fund normal operating needs.
Board Policy 6310 - Long-Term Debt
Legal: ORS 341.675 - Authority to incur bonded indebtedness
ORS 341.715 - Short-Term Bonds
Note: This policy replaces retired Board Policy 235 (last reviewed November 6, 2024). The language has been adopted without change and renumbered to align with the four-digit policy structure.