By Bill Zeeble, KERA reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-512379.mp3
Dallas, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: Assistant City Manager Ramon Miguez told Dallas city council members this proposal amounts to a strategic investment in Dallas
Assistant City Manager Ramon Miquez: and we are asking our residents to make a significant investment in our city of 1.28 billion dollars. There are two overriding objectives of this program. 1st, protecting lives and protecting assets and 2nd, creating opportunities for growth in our tax base.
Zeeble: Three key areas will receive more than 300 million dollars each from the package: streets and transportation; flood protection and storm drainage; and park and recreation facilities. There's 94 million dollars for police, fire, and courts buildings. 30 million - for an inland port, in far south Dallas - is an economic investment example. Every council member and the mayor praised the city manager's office for the fair & comprehensive package. But Leo Chaney, who represents parts of southern Dallas, says the it ought to grow to a billion and a half dollars, the city's needs are so great
Chaney: I was amazed, in my town hall meetings, with the response being, from citizens, they would support a 1.5 billion bond issue. It was amazing to me.
Zeeble: The city's needs actually exceed 7 billion dollars, but Mayor Laura Miller fears anything larger -- especially since the record-setting proposal will, she said, result in a sizable tax increase. She added up the bond's property taxes, its increased operations and maintenance costs, and the price of additional police that citizens are also demanding.
Miller: If we do that & I support it, we get to a 21.7 percent property tax increase over 6 years. Which has to be the largest property tax we've ever seen over a 6 year period
Zeeble: Councilman Mitchell Rasansky said it would be even more than that, because those numbers don't account for rising property values which have been climbing now for years. He predicts taxes will rise by 40 to 50 percent!
Mitchell Rasansky, Dallas city council member: When the mayor called and said this would be a billion 280 million I almost jumped out of my chair no, I almost FELL out of my chair.
Zeeble: But others, like Bill Blaydes and James Fantroy, said this bond package would pave the way for new business and home construction. And that , they said, would increase the tax base, sending tax relief to current tax payers. Over the next month, council members will show voters the proposal in town hall meetings. It's also viewable on the city's web page. The council meets again on this topic in a special meeting June 26th. For KERA 90.1 I'm Bill Zeeble
Bill Zeeble's email address is bzeeble@kera.org