Jeff Barton said he remembers visiting his grandparents' ranch on the outskirts of Buda decades ago when the then-rural community was sparsely populated. Now he is one of the principals of a consulting firm that assisted in recommending a $55 million bond package to construct new buildings, enhance the city's roads, fix drainage problems and turn its public parks into first-rate recreational facilities.

"[Buda was] a long way from what we see today with all the growth and change," said Barton, who helps run Gap Strategies, a Buda-based political consulting firm. "My grandparents would hardly recognize it. That's just part of what's going to be happening in this region over the next generation, I think."

Further change will be ushered in if voters approve any of five propositions on the November ballot. On Nov. 4, Buda citizens will decide a $21 million proposal to build a new, colocated City Hall and public library, a nearly

$7 million facility to house the city's growing police department, more than $12 million in street improvements, $7 million for drainage fixes and $8 million for park enhancements. If all five measures pass, a home valued at $173,000 would face as much as a $19.35 monthly tax hike.

City leaders said proposing a general obligation bond is unprecedented in the city's roughly 65-year history, and city leaders pride themselves on Buda's comparably low property tax rate for the region. However, the city's population grew about 40 percent from the 2010 U.S. Census figure to the 2013 estimate, and Buda's projection of the current population—about 13,000—is more than a 25 percent increase from last year's tally.

Councilwoman Eileen Altmiller said Buda could capitalize on the growth the Austin metropolitan area is experiencing because Austin is becoming less affordable and its roads more congested. Buda has one of the lowest property tax rates in the region and is faced with considerably less traffic worries than its suburban counterparts to the north of Austin.

"I think we are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the development that comes," Altmiller said. "Having those [city master plans] and knowing exactly what we want for our city is crucial."

Facilities

The last renovations to the City Hall building at 121 Main St. were made in 2003. Altmiller said people in the community called the structure the Taj Mahal at the time, but no one had yet prepared for the population boom the city would experience in the next decade.

Recently the city has run into cases of not being able to hire staff members because there is no office space left, Altmiller said. The city rents a building across the train tracks from City Hall: the City Hall annex, which houses both the police department and city staff. The city said the annex is not designed for government business and exceeds its capacity.

In addition to a public library, the municipal facility proposed in the bond package would house a municipal court, City Hall, community multipurpose space and emergency preparedness space.

The proposed $6.75 million public safety facility would house the growing Buda Police Department, founded in 2010. The current police department facilities in the City Hall annex total about 1,800 square feet, said Colin Strother, who chairs the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and sat on the 12-person committee tasked with recommending projects for the bond. The building also has leaks, repair problems and lacks adequate space for interviewing crime victims, the city said.

Three additional police officers will be added to the force this fiscal year, and city officials expect to grow that number to keep pace with the state-recommended number of police officers per capita.

Engineering consultants initially proposed colocating the police station with the proposed City Hall and library complex, but members of the Buda Bond Advisory Committee decided to separate them into two projects because of privacy, security and other concerns.

Streets and downtown

Street projects recommended in the city's transportation master plan and downtown plan would cost up to $12.25 million if approved by voters. The city's 2011 comprehensive master plan, which lays out a vision for what the city will look like in 2030, recommended enhancements to downtown that would create a better pedestrian experience.

The proposed improvements to San Antonio and Main streets would add bicycle and pedestrian facilities as well as improve the aesthetics of downtown Buda. In addition, San Antonio Street is slated to receive more on-street parking and better pedestrian access to City Park.

Main Street from Bradfield Village to downtown is due for an increase from two to four lanes, with two eastbound and two westbound. Old Goforth Road is slated to be widened and its condition improved along with upgraded drainage, bike lanes and sidewalks.

The bond package proposes to create turning lanes at the intersection of Main Street and FM 967 as well as through lanes to address traffic congestion. The proposition would also address pedestrian safety and make it safer for larger vehicles to traverse the intersection.

Parks and drainage

The 2013 Halloween floods caused nearly $1 million of damage in the Buda area. In response to the impact felt locally, Buda officials reviewed the city's drainage master plan and recommended improvements. The update to the plan brought about the $7 million proposed for flood control, runoff and other drainage projects. Areas such as West Goforth Road, the downtown fire station and Bluff and Houston streets are due for projects to mitigate flooding, according to the proposition language.

Buda City Park is set to be the centerpiece of the proposed upgrades to city recreational facilities. As much as $8 million could be spent on park improvements and the construction of hike and bike trails with passage of Proposition 5.

Among the possibilities listed in the city's park master plan are an amphitheater to host concerts and major events. An event plaza area could accompany the venue. If approved the bond could fund additional parking spaces for visitors to City Park. Strother said Buda's biggest tourist attraction apart from Cabela's is City Park. He said the park is the jewel of the city's park system that if enhanced would draw more visitors to the city.

"We can have something that is kind of like a Zilker Park," he said. "[Buda City Park] could be a destination."