After 16 years of Measure V, are voters still willing to pay to renovate Santa Barbara City College?

That is the question that SBCC officials are hoping to answer as voters head to the polls this November to cast their ballots for Measure P — the latest attempt to secure funds for the college to improve its facilities, classrooms and labs.

Erika Endrijonas, president and superintendent of SBCC, said Measure P is not a new bond. Instead, it asks the voters to extend the current bond, Measure V.

“It is not an additional tax,” Endrijonas told Noozhawk. “Back in 2008, the taxpayers passed Measure V, which was $8.50 per $100,000 of assessed value of their property.”

Over time, the amount that residents paid for Measure V has decreased. Measure P would increase the amount paid back to the maximum of $8.50 and extend the bond to 2061 instead of its original end date of 2040.

The Measure V construction improvement bond is expected to raise a total of $77.2 million. The proposed extended term would raise more money than the original bond: $198 million.

Most Measure V projects are already completed, including the new West Campus Center building and “modernization” of several other buildings.

If approved, Measure P would generate an additional $198 million for upgrades and renovations. The bond money would be used for construction, and the expenses would be audited by a citizen oversight committee.

Endrijonas said passing the measure would allow SBCC to continue improving the college’s campus.

“We have parking lots that need to be repaved. We have aging infrastructure that includes lead pipes and asbestos,” Endrijonas said. “We also are looking to replace or rebuild our physical education and sports pavilion building.”

Other funds would be used to update buildings that do not meet earthquake standards.

She also said that if the measure is approved, SBCC would be able to receive matching funds for projects such as renovating its physical science building.

SBCC has already received $32 million from the State of California for the school’s sports pavilion. However, if Measure P is not approved by the voters, the money would have to be returned, according to SBCC.

Since the college was built in the 1960s, SBCC has been able to pass only one bond for campus improvements — the 2008 Measure V. The college tried to pass Measure S in 2014, but voters did not pass it.

The SBCC Board of Trustees decided to extend Measure V instead of going for a new bond because the extension seemed to poll better with residents.

According to board president Jonathan Abboud, the college considered asking for a new bond. However, residents seemed to support extending Measure V if it was used to improve SBCC facilities and infrastructure.

Even though voters did not pass previous measures, Abboud believes that voters will support Measure P. He said the new ballot measure is more targeted than its predecessor.

“We’re focusing on the critical needs, so that’s why I think this one has a better chance of success, because we’re not raising tax rates and we’re focusing on the essentials,” Abboud told Noozhawk.

Abboud also said the measure is important for Santa Barbara and surrounding areas because so many people rely on the college.

“Fifty percent of the people who graduate from high school in the South County go to Santa Barbara City College,” Abboud said. “That’s a lot of people every year that rely on SBCC.”

To keep track of how money from the bond is spent, there would be a civilian oversight committee tasked with auditing the funds and expenses.

Not all members of the Board of Trustees were on board with putting the measure on the November ballot. The board voted to approve the measure in June in a 5-2 vote. Trustees Veronica Gallardo and Marsha Croninger cast the two opposing votes.

There appears to be no organized opposition to the measure.

The ballot argument against it was filed by Denice Spangler Adams, a frequent commenter at Board of Trustees meetings. She called Measure P a “shell game” and argued that voters shouldn’t lock residents into a bond for additional time.

For students at SBCC, many are content with the campus but do think that parts of it can be improved. The college began classes on Aug. 26.

Caleb Bush, a biology major, has been attending the school for three years. He said he enjoys the school but believes some parts could be upgraded, such as the organic chemistry lab. The labs are well-staffed, he said, but added that the rooms could use new fume hoods or other equipment.

He also said that parts of the campus feel modern and up-to-date, but some buildings feel shabbier compared to new buildings.

“The inter-disciplinary center in particular feels like a really old, outdated building, and there is just a big range of facilities,” Bush said.

He said he hopes voters approve the bond measure so that older parts of the campus are updated.

“I would definitely be in support of it,” Bush said. “I think that everything that is old here is only going to get older. So, updating it now and having money for that would definitely be beneficial.

Read Measure P, an impartial analysis and ballot arguments on the Santa Barbara County Elections website.