Building the case on SBCC's Measure V (multimedia)

Click here to view an interactive map of the proposed projects the bond would fund.

With less than five weeks remaining until the June 3 elections, City College has hired an independent campaign firm to promote Measure V.

Measure V is City College's $77.2 million bond measure that will add a slight increase on property taxes.

The money from the bond will be combined with funds matched by the state and local donations to repair aging buildings, modernize campus infrastructure, and to construct the School of Media Arts building.

The bond will also fund a new position to oversee the multiple construction projects, said Sue Ehrlich, vice president of Human Resources and Legal Affairs. The new position for assistant director of facilities was approved by the Board of Trustees Thursday, but it will only be filled if the bond passes.

City College recently hired Mary Rose and Associates, a political consulting firm, to help promote the bond. Neither the college nor the district is funding the campaign; funds have come from donations.

"We are working with a variety of groups for support," said lead consultant Mary Rose. "We have received very strong support from the community."

The firm has recruited around 100 local volunteers to work on the campaign, contacting voters via phone, going door-to-door and setting up tables in crowded areas, such as at the local farmers' markets.

An advertising campaign will also start soon. Letters will be sent out, radio commercials will hit the airwaves, and if funding allows, television commercials in favor of the measure will be broadcasted, Rose said.

City College held a press conference on Friday to raise awareness on the issue.

Dignitaries from the following local organizations were present, including the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association, the Santa Barbara County Republican Party, the League of Women Voters, the Santa Barbara Region of Commerce, and City College's student senate.

"This diverse group that we have gotten together is unprecedented," Rose said.

"This bond is the right investment and is essential," said Mike Stoker, president of the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association. "This was a no-brainer decision for us, and our vote [on the issue] was unanimously in favor."

The only notable opposition on the measure has come from the Santa Barbara News-Press. They argued against the measure in a Feb. 14, 2008 editorial, saying that "voters don't appear willing to raise taxes." The editorial also notes that other recent measures seeking funds from taxpayers have failed by significant margins.

If passed, the bond will add about $8.50 per $100,000 of the assessed property value. For example, a homeowner with a house assessed at $300,000 will add $25.50 a year. A house assessed at $1 million would have to pay $85 per year.

"We are being asked to pay a very small amount of money to preserve this treasure," said Linda Philips, president of the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara.

The measure needs a 55 percent "Yes" margin to pass.

- Alexandra Wilcox contributed to this report