Robert Abtahi Explains the City Bond Program’s Impact on Bryan Place
On November 6th, in addition to the Presidential and other partisan races, there will be a citywide election to vote on a capital bond program with 3 propositions totaling $642 million. The bond program is a method for the City to purchase, install and/or construct infrastructure generally lasting more than 20 years.
This year’s bond is widely seen as a “no frills—back to basics” program. Bond funds are not used for operating funds, such as pothole and wear-and-tear repairs. Most importantly, this year’s bond program will NOT require an increase in taxes.
The three key objectives to the bond program are
- to protect lives and property from flooding;
- to preserve and restore streets and other street-related assets; and
- to support economic development to grow our tax base.
The breakdown is as follows:
- Proposition 1 – $260 million for street, sidewalks, trails and transportation improvements
- Proposition 2 – $326 million for flood protection, storm drainage & creek erosion
- Proposition 3 – $55 million for economic development in southern sector and transit-oriented development citywide
All three propositions are extremely important and will be voted on individually but I’d like to focus specifically on Proposition 2 as it most directly affects our neighborhood. It’s important that we are well informed on Prop 2’s details as voter turnout for this year’s bond program is expected to be low. Prop 2 is $326 million and a majority of those funds will impact Bryan Place. As many of you know, Mill Creek was originally a stream that drained from Mockingbird Lane to the Trinity River; it ran through what is now Exall Park. From the 1920’s through the 1950’s, Mill Creek was enclosed in underground pipes to be able to withstand 2-year to 5-year storm events.
Problems arise when rainfall exceeds those levels. For example, in a 100-year event the streets in Bryan Place look like rivers and flood depths are up to 10 feet high. Prop 2 specifically addresses the decades of flooding problems many BPNA residents have experienced. Due to currently inadequate pipe systems, one foot or more of flooding in the Mill Creek/Peaks Branch area impacts approximately 3,800 properties. Prop 2’s purpose is to save lives and prevent property loss from flooding without having to increase taxes.
Because many races are included on this ballot, citizens voting on electronic voting machines will find the bond propositions at the very end of the ballot (and for those using paper ballots, the propositions may be listed on a separate ballot). Those who vote straight Republican or Democrat ticket can vote on the propositions by going to the end of the ballot.
It’s extremely important that BPNA residents go to the back of their ballots and vote on all three propositions as they directly affect our neighborhoods safety, our streets, and growing our City’s tax base; all without raising our taxes.