Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Measure V?
• Why does Santa Barbara City College need Measure V?
• How will this measure be funded?
• How long will the bond last?
• How was the list of bond projects selected?
• How much of this bond is for new projects and how much is to maintain the current campus?
• You mention sustainability in the bond measure. What green building principles are included in the Measure?
• Aren’t community colleges funded by the state? Shouldn’t the state solve this problem?
• Are there matching funds for this project?
• Why hold an election now?
• What will happen if Measure V does not pass?
• How can the public be assured that the bond funds will be spent properly?
• What is the function of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee? Who serves on the Committee?

General Questions

Measure V is the Santa Barbara City College Improvement Measure on the June 3, 2008 ballot.  Measure V asks voters to approve a $77.2 million bond that will qualify SBCC for up to $92 million in state matching funds for eleven projects.  Ten of these projects involve renovation of existing facilities.  One project is to provide the required SBCC funding for the School of Media Arts facility to house existing high tech career programs.  This environmentally sustainable, LEED certified building has been planned for many years and has been approved by the California Coastal Commission.  

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Santa Barbara City College works hard to meet the educational needs of our local community, however, most of Santa Barbara City College’s facilities are over 40 years old, and due to state budget reductions for scheduled maintenance over the past 10 years, repairs are needed now.  Santa Barbara City College must upgrade leaky roofs; update and renovate deteriorated classrooms, buildings and laboratories to train students in new technologies and prepare for jobs of the future; renovate and convert existing space in order to expand nursing, health care programs, and other career, vocational and continuing education training programs; make all three campuses safer by seismic strengthening of buildings and removal of asbestos, lead and other hazardous materials,  Measure V will also allow the campuses to become more sustainable by updating and replacing aging electrical and mechanical systems to reduce energy consumption and utility bills. 

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Passage of Measure V will allow SBCC to issue up to $77,242,012 in general obligation bonds which will be used to improve facilities and maintain quality, affordable, local higher education at Santa Barbara City College.  If the bond passes, property owners will pay an additional $8.50 per $100,000 of assessed value of their real property.  Note that the assessed value of a property is not the same as the appraised or market value. This means that a person who owns a home with an assessed valuation of $400,000 would pay approximately $34 more annually in property taxes.  The median price of a single family home in the District is $368,000.

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The estimate of $8.50 per $100,000 is a based on two bonds being issued, the first for 25 years and the second three years later for 30 years.  This assumes a very conservative “worst case” analysis of a 5.25% interest rate for the first bond and a 6.00% rate for the second bond.  The assumed growth rate for assessed values on homes was 3.5%, well below the historic growth rate of almost 7.0%.   The maximum length of a bond in California is 40 years.

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All planned bond projects support SBCC’s mission of offering quality higher education to all local students.  In developing the scope of projects, the SBCC Trustees, faculty, staff and students, with input from the public, have prioritized  the key health and safety needs, academic transfer and career training, skills maintenance and retraining requirements of local students so that critical needs and the most urgent and basic service needs of the community are addressed.  

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Only twelve percent of the bond will be for new construction.  This $9.3 million will be added to the $5 million raised by the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College to meet the local matching funds required to obtain over $32 million to complete the School of Media Arts building, which will consolidate educational programs for high technology careers.

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All community colleges in the state are committed to exceeding the required minimum standards for energy efficiency on all repairs and new construction.  The SBCC District Trustees have shown their commitment to sustainable design by calling for the incorporation of sustainable and green building guidelines in new construction and renovation of existing structures where possible.   Repairs and replacements to existing infrastructure will include water saving and energy-efficient heating, cooling, lighting and electrical systems for enhanced sustainability.  Measure V will allow the College to remove all harmful asbestos, lead and hazardous materials from existing buildings and dispose of them properly, and it supports the construction of one new green building on the Mesa campus.  This facility has been designed by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Architects with sustainability specifically in mind.

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State funding for higher education has been slashed in light of California’s budget problems.  The Governor is proposing cutting $40 million from the Community College budget this year to help balance the state budget.  Next year, the cut to the statewide system is proposed to be $483 million. Santa Barbara City College can’t rely on the state for all the funding it needs to meet local demand for affordable higher education and facility repairs and upgrades.  The state now requires a local match that is 40% on most restoration projects, well below the historic local match of 10% to 20%.  In 2002/2003 the state provided $5.4 million to SBCC for deferred maintenance and equipment purchases; this has fallen to $356,000 in 2007/2008.   Measure V will leverage millions of state dollars in matching funds to help improve facilities at SBCC.

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Passage of Measure V will mean that SBCC qualifies for over $92 million in matching funds from the State, making our local tax dollars go twice as far. 

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SBCC must address some of our critical health and safety needs now.  The SBCC District Board of Trustees led a  two-year strategic planning process that involved the input of faculty staff, and the community and determined that the urgency of the needs called for immediate action. The need for upgrades and repairs will only increase and become more expensive in the future.  Also, passage of Measure V will qualify SBCC for over $92 million in state matching funds.  If we don’t pass Measure V, some of those funds may be lost and go to other districts.  Sixty-eight of the 72 Community College Districts in the state have passed local bonds in the last five years.

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Funding for the capital improvement projects may need to be taken from general operating funds which could ultimately negatively impact student programs.

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The proposed bond measure includes specific taxpayer protections:

• No bond funds can be taken by the state.
• All bond funds must be spent on specific capital and equipment needs.  No money can be spent on teacher salaries or administration.
• An independent citizens’ oversight committee will review all spending and contractor performance.
• There will be annual financial and performance audits.

The Citizens’ Oversight Committee will oversee the implementation of the bond projects to make sure they comply with the voters’ wishes.  Members of the oversight committee will promptly alert the public to any waste or improper expenditure of school construction bond money.  The Citizens’ Oversight Committee is appointed by the elected Board of Trustees of the College, and must consist of at least 7 members, representing a business organization; senior citizens organization; bona fide taxpayers’ organization; student active in college group such as student government; member of advisory council or foundation.  No employee, official, vendor, contractor of consultant may be appointed.  All meetings must be open to the public.

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