By Catherine Cuellar, KERA 90.1 reporter
Dallas, TX – Catherine Cuellar, KERA 90.1 Reporter: The 2004 Capital Improvement Program includes nearly $274 million for more than 350 projects in all nine city council districts. More than 85% of the money is in Proposition 1 for street and storm sewer improvements, and includes the construction of the new Southwest Parkway. Mayor Mike Moncrief says the parkway, which has been on the books for 30 years, is now a necessity.
Mike Moncrief, Fort Worth Mayor: We can't get emergency equipment into that part of our city at peak traffic hours. We can't get ambulances and fire equipment in there to address emergencies. So I guess it gets back to the fact that we have a lot of capillaries but what we need is an artery.
Cuellar: Mayor Moncrief says public safety will also be buoyed by Proposition 4, with more than $12 million for new fire stations and equipment, and by Prop 5, which includes almost $1.2 million for police and fire communications.
Moncrief: I guess the best way to paint that picture is all of us have experience the frustration of not being able to get a signal with our cell phone and make a phone call. But we can only imagine if that is an emergency operator trying to dispatch emergency equipment to a fire scene or ambulance to someone's home who had a stroke, and they can't get a signal.
Cuellar: There is no formal opposition to the bond package, which is supported by all but one city council member, Clyde Picht, who represents southwest Fort Worth. Picht wants some street improvements, but opposes bundling them with other parts of Proposition 1.
Clyde Picht, City Council Member for District 6: It's listed as streets and drainage, and in reality with that being 85% of the total bond issue, there's a great deal more in there realigning Harvey Street, public art, Trinity River Vision; some very expensive street widening on Hemphill for a two block area.
Cuellar: Trinity River Vision is a $350 million plan to improve the riverfront, and most of the money for it is expected to come from federal funds and other sources. But Proposition 1 complements those plans by realigning Henderson, one of a dozen arterial streets which need improvements. Proposition 2, for parks and community improvements, also earmarks $1.4 million for new walks and trail access along the Trinity. Councilman Picht opposes using bond money to fund any part of the river plan.
Picht: That is such a huge endeavor the public needs to be more enlightened about how much it's going to cost before we start spending anything on it.
Cuellar: Picht also dislikes that 2 percent from the sale of the bonds will fund public art projects, a policy the Council approved two years ago.
Picht: I am not for any of the public art. I don't think that's a proper use of public funds, to buy art.
Cuellar: Other propositions on the ballot include more than $4 million for a new library in booming northwest Fort Worth and more than $600,000 for a spay and neuter clinic. Mayor Moncrief thinks all the public money will be well spent:
Moncrief: As our city grows, the number of people who live here is going to continue to increase and we have to keep up with that infrastructure. That's what this is all about.
Cuellar: Early voting continues through tomorrow, and the regular election is Saturday. To find polling places and read a summary of bond measures, go to FortWorthGov.com.
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