Houston City Council has approved placing five bond measures on the November ballot to determine whether City Hall is authorized to borrow $410 million for projects related to public safety, parks, libraries, housing and general government.
Mayor Annise Parker emphasized that the measures do not call for a tax increase to pay the principal and interest on the bonds. The actual language of the bond measures, however, authorizes a property tax increase if council later decides that it’s necessary, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The bond package includes:
- $144 million for public safety needs, including:
- Improvements at neighborhood police stations citywide
- Expansion of Fire Station 55, City Council District D
- New fire station to serve Pine Brook area, City Council District E
- Expansion of Fire Station 22, City Council District I
- Fire station maintenance/improvements citywide
- Facility security improvements
- Other building repairs
- $166 million for parks, including the Bayou Greenways Project (a $200 million initiative to complete a 100-year old vision of continuous public parks and trails alongside every major bayou segment in the City of Houston) and:
- Improvements at Haden, Busby Park, Judson Robinson Sr., Jaycee, Wright, Bembry,
Hermann,Alief, Nieto, Squatty Lyons, Gragg, Braeburn, Glen and Wildheather parks - Pavilion replacements
- Swimming pool upgrades and replacements
- Ball field lighting upgrades
- Trail replacement and overlays
- Improvements at Haden, Busby Park, Judson Robinson Sr., Jaycee, Wright, Bembry,
- $57 million for health, sanitation/recycling, and general government improvements at city facilities not
included in the other categories:- Renovation of the Westpark recycling facility, City Council District J
- Renovation of the Central Depository, City Council District I
- Possible repair of Sunnywide Multi-Service Center, City Council District D
- Repairs to City Hall and City Hall Annex
- Environmental Remediation
- $28 million for libraries, including:
- Renovation of the Montrose Library, City Council District D
- Replacement of the Moody Library, City Council District H
- Replacement of the Meyer Library, City Council District K
- Renovation of Robinson-Westchase Library, City Council District F
- $15 million for affordable housing. These dollars will be used for demolition of blighted properties to
make way for new affordable housing.