A bond package of up to $55 million is being considered by the Buda City Council after an advisory committee issued its recommendation on July 2.

The Buda Bond Advisory Committee, a group of citizens appointed by the council to explore the possibility of a bond program, concluded its June 27 meeting questioning whether alternatives to building a standalone police station or consolidated city complex—with city hall, the public library and a police station housed in one building—could be looked into.

But despite the one unsettled component, the recommendation provided to the council was a solid one, Mayor Todd Ruge said.

"I think it gives the council an excellent starting point," Ruge said. "In my mind, there probably won't be a whole lot of changes to be made."

The other projects listed in the proposal would address areas such as roads, sidewalks, drainage, flooding, parks and trails.

Before the committee process got underway, the council heard a presentation by its financial advisor that estimated tax implications of a potential bond meant that $40 million was possibly the maximum amount that could reasonably be pursued. Council members appeared to agree that $30 million was a "sweet spot" for a possible final amount.

The initial presentation, however, was drawn up using property valuation and sales tax assumptions from past years. Financial Advisor Jennifer Douglas then revised the figures to include more up-to-date and still conservative assumptions, which resulted in a higher bonding capacity.

"One of the upshots of our growth is we have an expanded tax base," Ruge said.

According to a presentation made at a June 18 city budget workshop, the tax impact on the average homeowner—the average home in Buda is valued at $158,000—could be about $250 annually if a $50 million bond were to be called. If the council decides to order a $60 million bond, it could require about $330 in annual property taxes for the average homeowner.

The committee whittled down a list of about $100 million in possible projects to slightly more than $60 million ahead of a final public input meeting on June 19. Final cuts were made at the committee's June 27 meeting.

"It's really not an all-or-nothing proposition," Ruge said. "They have a menu of things we will be able to choose from."

The bond could be broken up into three or four propositions separated by category, such as parks, infrastructure and facilities. The city's bond counsel advised the committee to break up its recommendation into more than one voter proposition because the Texas Attorney General's office would not support a consolidated referendum.

The council will have final say on what the final bond package looks like, but it is all but decided that Buda voters will have an election on their hands, Ruge said.

"With the committee's recommendation, the sense of the council is there will be a bond election in November," he said. "It's yet to be determined what exactly is going to be on it."

In order to hold a November election, the bond must be called by Aug. 18.