Five referendum issues will be on the ballot Nov. 6 and voters will have some important choices to make.

We’ve already touched on Question 1, which would grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the last time similar legislation was proposed to Mainers in 2009, so our readers know that we support marriage equality. For committed couples of consenting adults, we feel that marriage should be available to them as a foundation on which to base their families.

What have received far less attention this election season are the four other questions on the ballot, which all ask voters about approving bonds:

Ӣ Question 2 would allot more than $11 million for capital improvements at the University of Maine system, Maine Community College System and Maine Maritime Academy.

”¢ Question 3 would set aside $5 million for land conservation and easements ”“ with an additional $5 million promised by public and private donors to match that amount.

Ӣ Question 4 would allot $55.5 million for infrastructure improvements, making the state eligible for $105.6 million in federal money.

Ӣ Question 5 would authorize expenditure of $7.9 million for loans that would allow improvements to our drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities, making the state eligible for more than $39 million in federal grants.

It’s hard to argue against any of these investments, all of which will help contribute to job creation, either directly or indirectly.

When infrastructure and other investments are ignored, they can have other negative consequences on the economy as a whole, which can worsen the situation. Roads and bridges left to crumble and failure to preserve open land will certainly have impacts on our tourism industry, which is a major economic driver, and those factors will also definitely influence whether or not companies want to set up shop here and bring jobs.

Bonding is also a responsible way for the state to meet its obligations ”“ and let’s not forget about the matching monies that come with the local commitment in many of these proposals. With interest rates low, this is also a good time to go out to bond.

If improving the economy is our focus, the improvements at the universities will serve us well, particularly the provision to increase the machine tool technology capacity in the community college system ”“ an arena that is sorely in need of skilled workers.

This bond will have an impact in our area, with $805,000 of that money slated to boost York County Community College’s machine tool technician program.

Drinking water and treatment facilities are a staple of a quality community and are another thing people will look for as they seek to bring jobs to Maine, so all are important considerations.

The need for all of these proposed improvements is not going to go away, so it also seems that putting it off will only make it more expensive. Bonding, of course, spreads the cost out over several years, so the debt load for these projects, which will all have long-term benefits, will not fall entirely on the taxpayers of today.

Support of these initiatives, however, comes with the knowledge that Gov. Paul LePage may choose to ignore the vote of the people by not spending the money. When he vetoed a $20 million bond for research and development this summer, that’s exactly what he said he would have done if the bond question had been sent to voters and passed. LePage has raised concerns about the state’s financial situation ”“ we are in debt ”“ so there’s no guarantee that the bonds approved this time around will actually move forward.

We hope voters and Gov. LePage will get behind these bond questions and take a long view at making our state a better place.

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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski, representing the majority opinion of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.