Gavilan Community College trustees have chosen a dicey time to
float the idea of asking voters to approve a bond measure.
Gavilan Community College trustees have chosen a dicey time to float the idea of asking voters to approve a bond measure.
Trustees, who voted last week to establish a committee to screen candidates for a bond consultant, say that in light of recent – and anticipated future – state budget cuts, the college can’t afford to renovate the 1960s-era campus or buy new land for expansion.
The consultant, who would conduct opinion surveys to determine if a bond would receive the needed 55 percent approval from voters, would charge an estimated $30,000 fee.
We’ll save trustees some money and offer our opinion for free: Now is not the right time for a Gavilan Community College bond measure.
We think even a small bond measure will find a lukewarm reception at best in these tight economic times. Voters are frustrated by the state’s stewardship – or lack thereof – of once-plentiful tax funds by Sacramento, and are unlikely to approve giving more tax dollars to any government agency, even one as worthy as Gavilan College.
Steve Kinsella, the college’s new president, has only been on the job a few months, having succeeded Rose Marie Joyce, whose tenure was turbulent.
The two-year college, based in Gilroy and with successful branch campuses in Hollister and Morgan Hill, and its new president need to work on selling the institution to the community before asking taxpayers to open their wallets.
Gavilan needs to put the community back into Gavilan Community College.
It needs to strengthen ties with area school districts and the community at large. It must do a much better job marketing the myriad of services the college offers to learners of all ages – from elementary to the elderly.
It should work to convince taxpayers that Gavilan is an invaluable, indispensable part of South Valley.
We urge trustees to take it slow, and to reconsider spending money on a bond consultant now. Instead, the college’s limited resources would be better spent creating and strengthening ties with the community. In a year or two, after Kinsella has established himself, and the community understands the important role the college plays in the region, then it can begin to talk about asking taxpayers to approve a bond.
Trustees should save the much-needed $30,000. Now is not the time for a Gavilan Community College bond measure.
