Updated Nov. 4 at 12:08 a.m.
Voters approved all four propositions for new bonds to be issued by the city of Cedar Park, according to unofficial results and all but one polling location reporting at midnight Wednesday.
The new bonds will finance a total of $96.7 million worth of city projects in four categories. Of the four propositions, bonds for road projects received the most support, followed by bonds for public safety, bonds for parks projects, and bonds for a new library.
- Proposition 1, streets and roads, $63 million—2,987 positive votes, or about 75 percent of votes, compared with 1,009 negative votes or about 25 percent of votes
- Proposition 2, public safety, $7.55 million—2,913 positive votes, or about 73 percent of votes, compared with 1,076 negative votes or about 27 percent of votes
- Proposition 3, library, $20.5 million—2,389 positive votes, or about 60 percent of votes, compared with 1,601 negative votes or about 40 percent of votes
- Proposition 4, parks and recreation, $5.65 million—2,855 positive votes, or about 71 percent of votes, compared with 1,140 negative votes or about 29 percent of votes
Posted Nov. 3 at 7:50 p.m.
According to unofficial early voting results Nov. 3, Cedar Park voters appear likely to approve all four city bond propositions in tonight’s bond election.
Unofficial early voting results for each of the bond propositions are as follows:
- Proposition 1, streets and roads, $63 million—1,283 positive votes, or about 74 percent of votes, compared with 442 negative votes, or about 26 percent of votes
- Proposition 2, public safety, $7.55 million—1,256 positive votes, or about 73 percent of votes, compared with 467 negative votes, or about 27 percent of votes
- Proposition 3, library, $20.5 million—1,045 positive votes, or about 60 percent of votes, compared with 676 negative votes, or about 40 percent of votes
- Proposition 4, parks and recreation, $5.65 million—1,194 positive votes, or about 69 percent of votes, compared with 527 negative votes, or about 31 percent of votes
If all the propositions pass, in 2016 the city will issue new bonds that total $96.7 million.
The new debt would be used to finance new projects, such as expanding the fire and police departments, improving roads such as Anderson Mill Road and New Hope Drive, starting redevelopment of Bell Boulevard and building a new 50,000-square-foot library facility.
Projects were decided by a 15-member Bond Advisory Task Force. The task force spent about seven months reaching out to residents and holding public meetings before recommending two lists of projects to City Council. Council members then consolidated the two lists into one, and on Aug. 13 council called for the bond election.
City leaders said they want to improve Cedar Park without raising property taxes and said they believe new debt is the most responsible way to address the needs of a growing population.
The city of Cedar Park’s previous bond election was in 2007, when voters approved a total of $62.07 million for city roads, parks and public safety projects. However, city voters did not approve a fourth proposition to issue $19.57 million in additional bonds to fund construction of a city hall.
All results are unofficial until final canvassing.