Santa Fe Community College will not seek a property tax increase to pay for operations at the proposed Higher Education Learning Center.

College President Sheila Ortego said the public-education complex, which would be adjacent to the College of Santa Fe campus, would be supported with fees from other schools offering classes there, the current property tax and state money the college is expected to receive.

SFCC has seen a 20 percent enrollment increase this year to almost 2,800 students as people look for career changes and more job training.

The levy would have initially raised $660,000 per year and added about 5 cents per thousand dollars of valuation to the property tax bill — about $5 a year for the typical homeowner.

SFCC still plans to go forward with an Aug. 3 election that asks voters to approve $35 million in additional borrowing for construction of the Higher Learning Center as well as improvements at the main campus — including a space for performing arts and a new entrance on Richards Avenue.

And because interest rates are so low and some of the $23 million in other obligations will retire, the new, less-expensive money will bring down the SFCC portion of property tax bills, said Meridee Walters, vice president of finance for SFCC. The property tax rate is ultimately set by the state based on numerous factors.

Walters said the economic environment is right for the new projects because of low interest rates, she said. "Do it now, you have to think about this in a long-term framework," she said.

The Higher Learning Center would also give Santa Fe's construction industry a boost — creating some 177 jobs with a payroll of $9 million, according to an analysis by the city's economic development division.

The center would be a place for colleges from around the state to provide classes to students in Santa Fe that lead to bachelor's and master's degrees. The plan has earned approval from the New Mexico Higher Education Department.

Among the schools interested are The University of New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico University as well as Northern New Mexico College; Institute of American Indian Arts; New Mexico Highlands University; New Mexico State University; Laureate Education, Inc.; New Mexico Tech and Western New Mexico University.

BY THE NUMBERS

The proposed projects for the $35 million SFCC Aug. 3 bond election:

Higher Learning Center, $12 million

Renovate existing buildings and grounds, $3 million

Access to college and parking improvements, $7.6 million

Green projects, $7 million

IT upgrades/infrastructure renewal, $5.4 million