The debate over the proposed $43 million Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES campus has escalated to the point where a judge must decide, a day before the public is scheduled to decide, whether the vote should be delayed.

The Skaneateles Central School District is arguing its residents would be harmed by being forced to pay for their share of the project's cost because not enough has been done to reduce the price tag. BOCES claims it has a fair spending estimate, and that any delay could actually push the price higher if material costs go up.

Skaneateles could very well be right - more can be done to cut costs. But that can be said for just about any major building project. The key question is how to balance the desire for getting the best price with the need to provide students with the best facilities possible.

In the end, the best tool voters can use to make up their mind is their own checkbook. Take a good look at the impact, in dollars, this project will have on your tax bill. Estimates are the owner of a $100,000 home would pay an extra $15 to $27 per year to cover the BOCES project, with the actual amount depending on which of the nine component school districts a person lives.

We believe that is a reasonable burden, especially considering the state of BOCES existing facility in Fleming. That aging structure, built more than three decades ago, was never meant to be permanent space. From a compromised roof to walls that leak, this place would never pass muster if it were a regular school building.

An additional consideration voters should make - and one we have not heard enough - is the long-term benefit of a modern BOCES campus. BOCES provides vocational education, which can bring immediate value to a community by creating a skilled workforce. BOCES community services, from adult education classes to business training, also can be an economic development tool.

The elimination of a Cayuga County-based BOCES, which is a real possibility if this project fails, would take away that added value to the community.

For these reasons, The Citizen endorses the BOCES proposal.