Houston Will Vote on $410 Million in Bonds

Moran at the Chron reports the following:

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.

Here’s how the money breaks down:

1. Proposition A — Public safety: $144 million
2. Proposition B — Parks: $166 million
3. Proposition C — General government: $57 million
4. Proposition D — Library: $28 million
5. Proposition E — Housing: $15 million

What is general government, you ask? There’s no specific list of projects in the material put before council, but Proposition C calls for issuing bonds for “…the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, remediation and equipment of permanent improvements that support public health, sanitation and other essential general services of the City….”

Soon after the bonds were proposed, there was already a PAC pushing for their passage. As I mentioned recently, CM Melissa Noriega spoke at a brown-bag discussion about the bonds and whatever is being proposed is definitely needed. The parks proposal is particularly interesting with a majority of the bond going to the Bayou Greenways Project, which would benefit all of the City Council districts.

I’m sure we’ll be getting more information as the campaign rolls out. Thus far, I’m in favor of these bonds, especially since there would not be a tax increase and there would be new opportunities for our great city.

FYI:  The vote to place the bonds on the ballot was 12-3 with Sullivan, Pennington, and Helena Brown voting no. No surprise there.