Arlington voters to decide on bond for improvements to streets, parks, public safety
Voters will decide if Arlington improves its streets, builds a public safety training center and upgrades parks, downtown city buildings and libraries.
On May 3, the city will hold a $200.8 million bond election with five propositions on the ballot. Early voting runs from April 22 to April 29.
Residents will not see a property tax rate increase if the bond passes.
Mayor Jim Ross said planning for the bond started a year ago and that the city has one of the top credit ratings in the state.
“We are very good at how we handle these bond issues, and we are very good at handling our finances,” Ross said. “This is a very thoughtful process to structure our bond issues and to assess our needs.”
He said a citizens committee recommended priorities to the city council.
Here’s a breakdown of the five propositions on the May 3 ballot.
Most of the $200.8 million will go toward streets and public safety.
Proposition A: Street Improvements, $137 million
The largest proposition focuses on various street improvement projects including:
- South Collins Street widening ($27.8 million)
- Randol Mill Road reconstruction ($54.8 million)
- Pleasant Ridge Road construction ($12.6 million)
- Residential Rebuild Program ($10 million)
- Street Reclamation ($16.5 million)
- Intersection Improvements ($5 million)
- Sidewalk Program ($2.8 million)
- Signal/ITS Annual Program ($4.5 million)
- Several smaller programs for grant matching, construction testing, irrigation repair, surveying, and ADA compliance
Proposition B: Public Safety, $48.9 million
Funds would be allocated for:
- Public Safety Training Facility design ($5.7 million)
- Fire Station #6 rebuild ($13.5 million)
- Fire equipment replacements ($15.8 million)
- Dispatch radio replacements ($8.2 million)
- Ott Cribbs Public Safety Center improvements ($4.2 million)
- East Police Substation improvements ($1.5 million)
Proposition C: Parks & Recreation, $9.3 million
This proposition includes:
- Dottie Lynn Recreation Center improvements ($4.5 million)
- River Legacy Nature Center improvements ($2.8 million)
- Park infrastructure improvements ($2 million)
Proposition D: Downtown Administrative Buildings, $3. 1 million
Focuses on City Hall major systems replacements, including HVAC, fire alarm systems, and emergency lighting.
Proposition E: Libraries, $2.4 million
Covers improvements at four branch libraries:
- Ron Wright Lake Arlington Library ($1.6 million)
- Southeast Library ($420,000)
- Southwest Library ($130,000)