Arlington voters appeared poised to approve a number of bond proposals Saturday with early voting and 50 of 160 precincts report, according to county elections data.
All except Proposition D, which deals with upgrades to city administration buildings, garnered support from at least 70% of early voters. Proposition D found approval from around 58% of early voters.
Andrew Piel, the council member representing District 4, said at a council retreat April 29 Proposition D was the only measure he was worried about voters rejecting.
Streets, public safety and parks were top priorities in the bonds sent to voters.
City Manager Trey Yelverton told KERA News ahead of the election that the projects are top priorities for many residents, and Arlington doesn’t expect any property tax increases as a result.
“There’s really a lot of bricks and mortar in what’s proposed,” Yelverton said. “A lot of concrete for streets, a lot of HVAC and infrastructure needs.”
Most funding was set aside for street rebuilds and maintenance at just less than $137 million. Another $49 million was allocated to public safety upgrades while improvements to parks, libraries and city hall all combined for $14.8 million.
Cities routinely issue bonds, essentially taking out loans, to make improvements and repairs to city infrastructure. With Arlington’s AAA bond rating, Yelverton said the city gets the best possible interest rates that allow it to issue bonds without raising taxes.
Making repairs and upgrades to a city isn’t like home improvements or repairs, Yelverton said. Where someone could save up money to replace a broken dishwasher or repair electrical work in their home, replacing roads is more akin to buying a new house.
“The question is, I think, really a matter of scale,” Yelverton said. “You won’t pay cash for your house, right? So we’re not going to go pay cash for a brand new road. And when you’re rebuilding Randol Mill, it really is a new road. It’s not, ‘I’m putting in some new gardens today.’ ”
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