The City College Board of Trustees will decide in the near future whether or not to approve a bond measure that would finance campus construction and maintenance for the next 10 years.

The Channels supports the early ideas of this possible measure and hopes that this time around, employees and staff will show more support.

Before the trustees give their approval, college faculty and staff will be surveyed to see how they feel about the proposed measure.

If Superintendent-President John Romo, who is spearheading this survey, reports back with positive results, the trustees will then decide at a May 21 study session whether or not to send a hired consultant out to test the waters of the community.

Pending the consultant’s report, they’ll move forward. And now that bond measures only need a majority in votes, no longer a two-thirds, it stands a decent chance of passing.

As good as the bond sounds, it could definitely draw opposition from Santa Barbara property owners.

If voters approve the measure, which would be slated to hit the ballots this November, it will raise property taxes. Given the high cost of living in Santa Barbara, it would be hard to blame the naysayers who helped ixnay the last bond campaign.

City College employees certainly aren’t paid Ty Warner-level salaries, and those fortunate enough to own their own property certainly don’t need this extra expense.

However, there is simply too great a need for the revenue this bond would bring in, and, given the budget crisis, the state won’t be forking over extra cash any time soon.

City College needs this bond to pass. The funds it would generate would pay for general upkeep and would take care of the long list of deferred maintenance projects.

The current list, which Joe Sullivan, vice-president of business services, said will be trimmed down, is nine pages long.

Students who take classes in the Business-Communication Forum have to deal with some chairs that are missing seats, frayed carpet and burned out lights, in addition to automatic window shades that, because of lack of maintenance, aren’t so automatic anymore.

Considering that the BC Forum also hosts events by community organizations, the lack of proper upkeep of an important campus asset should come as an embarrassment to City College.

The Administration Building, Humanities Building and the Garvin Theatre could use some serious work, too.

Cursory examinations of other buildings and structures will demonstrate clearly the need for additional maintenance funds.

Another project that needs financing is the process of ensuring that everything on campus adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Our college is one of the best and looks it too. The beauty of our campus is the best complement to one of the best two-year colleges in the state, and that beauty includes the shape of the buildings and the classrooms, too.