By SCOTT LANDHEER
City Times
Proposition N passed with 62 percent of the vote on Nov. 7.
The bond measure to give the San Diego Community College District $870 million needed just 55 percent approval to pass, which was easily reached with a final tally of 114,499-69,216.
Chancellor Constance Carroll was “absolutely thrilled” with the results.
“It tells us how much the voters respect and value the community colleges,” said Carroll. “The passage of Proposition N means that City College students can look forward to dramatic improvements in the facilities and equipment that will be provided for their education.”
She gave credit to everyone who worked on the campaign, including City College President Terrence Burgess, Academic Senate leaders Roberta Alexander and Kathy McGinnis, classified staff leaders and student leaders.
She also said that Associated Students President Francisco Fabian was a “tireless worker” in the campaign.
President Burgess also thanked everyone who helped with the campaign in a campus-wide e-mail.
“From generous donations to the campaign, week-upon-week of phone banking, displaying yard signs, lobbying family and friends, to picketing at freeway entrances, our collective effort was outstanding and clearly showed in our solid victory,” said Burgess.
“Many future generations of City College students, faculty, and staff will owe each of you a great debt of gratitude for your vision and tireless effort to pass bonds providing over $400 million to build, renovate, and remodel our college.”
Before the money from Prop. N can be used, $330 million in bonds still left from Prop. S, which was passed in 2004, must be sold, according to Damon Schamu, Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management.
But now that the new measure has been passed, Schamu said the first step will be to go back to the Facilities Master Plan and determine which of the projects listed under Prop. N are the top priority.
Projects currently listed on the City College master plan under Prop. N include a new Humanities Building, Business Technology Building and Science Building.
Buildings A,C and M are slated to be remodeled and renovated and the T Building is set to be demolished to build an Engineering Technology Building
After campus administration, faculty and staff determine which projects are most important, and which ones can logistically be done first, the board will need to approve their recommendations before real planning can begin.
Then it’s up to the architects, consultants, a team of district officials to come together to bring our campus and the others in the district to the next level.
