Vote for SFCC bond won’t raise tax rate
Santa Fe County voters have the opportunity on Feb. 6 to provide Santa Fe Community College with bond funding for vital technology and facility upgrades to enhance learning and career opportunities for our students and better serve our community.
There are two questions on the ballot that affect SFCC. The first question would allow us to raise the portion of the bond we use for operations, while lowering our capital request. The second question would authorize $17 million in bonds, which would lower the portion we use for debt service.
Combined, both questions would allow Santa Fe Community College to restructure its finances by raising the amount of the bond charged for our operations while decreasing the amount of the bond charged for our debt service. This was done deliberately so that tax rates would not increase. So even though the language is confusing, voting on both SFCC bond questions will result in no changes to the total tax rate.
This is the first time since 2010 that SFCC has gone before the community with a bond issue. We feel it is important to ask for bond funding now because it is needed in a number of areas to improve educational opportunities for our students and help us better serve the community.
The largest portion of the bond, $7 million, would go to a new 17,000-square-foot automotive center, which would include classrooms and a customized training area to prepare students for high-demand careers in the automotive industry and double the number of students we can educate annually.
In addition, $5 million is needed for critical infrastructure improvements throughout the campus. SFCC was founded in 1983. While we’ve made additions since then, we need to improve roads, parking, sidewalks, roof systems, HVAC systems, our wastewater treatment plants, and lighting and power systems. Our students and faculty deserve classrooms and facilities that are safe, support instruction and are comfortable.
SFCC would spend $2 million to renovate the William C. Witter Fitness Education Center. The center offers affordable classes and fitness/exercise opportunities to the entire community, including discounts to seniors. We would repair the pool, install a new rooftop thermal system for heated pools, acquire new fitness equipment, a new floor and seating in the gym, and give the center a long overdue exterior and interior facelift.
About $2 million would be spent on technology upgrades. These would include enhanced security infrastructure, modernizing our information systems, upgrading to industry standard server solutions and finally, to the delight of many on our campus, improve Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing students to more easily access online learning opportunities.
Last but by no means least, we’d spend $1 million on improvements to classrooms and learning spaces. We would renovate and upgrade classrooms in the fashion design, arts and media arts, and metal fabrication lab with new furnishings and fixtures. We also would expand and upgrade our film program facilities, which are more important now than ever because of the impending closure of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Some of these upgrades are needed to satisfy code, health and safety requirements.
Santa Fe Community College provides students with a place to get the education they need to start a career or go on for a more advanced degree — right here in our own local community. In fact, more than four out of every five Santa Fe Community College graduates, or 89 percent, find jobs or transfer to a fouryear institution.
SFCC is committed to student success. The college has doubled its graduation rate in the past three years. In addition, over the past five years, the college has succeeded by doubling the number of graduates; increasing associate degrees awarded by 52 percent; and increasing certificates awarded by 154 percent.
An investment in Santa Fe Community College is an investment in our community. For every dollar spent at our college, students receive $2.60 in benefits, taxpayers gain $1.70 and society benefits by $6.10, according to an economic impact survey.
We hope everyone in the community will vote. Absentee voting continues through Feb. 2. Early voting has begun and runs through Feb. 3. In-person voting at 15 different locations is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6. For more information, visit www.votesfcc.com.
Cecilia Y.M. Cervantes, Ph.D., is interim president of Santa Fe Community College. She brings many years of experience to SFCC as a president of other community colleges, where she has demonstrated her commitment to student success. Linda Siegle is chairwoman of the Santa Fe Community College governing board. She began serving on the SFCC governing board in 1996, and her term continues through May 21, 2021.