Saying the Santa Fe Community College wanted to lead the way in educational opportunities for Santa Feans seeking bachelor's and master's degrees, SFCC president Sheila Ortego urged voters to support the college's proposed $35 million bond to fund a Higher Education Center and renovate and update the current campus during a public forum Thursday night.

About 50 people attended the event moderated by Simon Brackley, president of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce. The election is Aug. 3.

The largest portion of the bond — $12 million — is earmarked for the center, which is to be housed on the College of Santa Fe campus near the Siringo Road entrance. Several state colleges would participate in the center by offering popular programs including environmental science, business, and education.

The bond also includes: $7.6 million for improvement to community college roads, parking lots and the main entrance; $7 million to support energy-efficient green projects on campus; $5.4 million to help upgrade the college's information-technology infrastructure; and $3 million to renovate existing campus structures and surrounding grounds.

After a short opening statement by Ortego — who said education is "the one thing with the capacity to change the world" — participants on the panel took questions from the audience to clarify why the college was seeking the bond money.

Why did the college want to hold a special election for this bond now? "During a recession is one of the best times to borrow money," Ortego replied.

Panelist Meridee Walters, the college's vice president of finance and administration, estimates the interest on this bond would be between 1 percent and 2 percent, and that the college believes (but does not promise) that taxes will not go up as a result of the bond.

Why didn't the college break up the bond into two separate sections? Because, Ortego acknowledged, the institute didn't want to put one bond against the other for voters to consider. "And both issues are so critical to both us and the community that we really couldn't say that one was more important than the other," she added.

Couldn't the college simply build the center on its existing campus on Richards Avenue? Ortego and the other panelists said the increase in student population means more wear and tear on the campus and more traffic on surrounding streets. Plus, students have indicated a desire to attend a more centrally located school, she said.

The panel also took questions on its efforts to "green" its campus through solar lighting and biodiesel shuttle buses, how the city and students would save money by offering an array of educational services under one roof, and why it wasn't aiming for more online (distance learning) courses.

Carole Brito, chairwoman of the college's governing board, said a "one-size-fits-all" approach to teaching is "false," stressing that students have indicated they still prefer face-to-face contact with faculty.

The panelists gave brief, to-the-point answers during the 90-minute event, but not everyone was satisfied with the answers.

William Lee Valentine, who said he is a supporter of the community college, said the discussion does not justify the bond issue.

"I would have wanted them to indicate what sort of funding the community college has in the past 10 years for maintenance, and what has it spent on maintenance to date, and how will the current bond issue complement it?

"I'm not opposed to the Higher Education Center. But did the college demonstrate that it is using all of its rooms? Are its classes full? I'm much less concerned with the idea that people have to drive out here than I am with, can they justify a $12 million building?" he said.

Paul Morrison, chairman of Santa Fe County Republican Party, went into the panel event with a slew of questions. By evening's end, he felt that "many of the issues have been resolved. Some were not."

"I'm still dubious," he said, vowing to do further research before making a final decision.

Early voting — including on the campus — is in effect until the end of July. Brackley said those seeking further information can e-mail info@sfcc.edu or call 428-1182 with questions.

The panel talk will be broadcast on the college's community TV station (Channel 16 locally) at 7 p.m. tonight, 3 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Monday.

Contact Robert Nott at 986-3201 or rnott@sfnewmexican.com.