The city of McKinney called for a $350 million bond election as well as a city charter election at a council meeting on Feb. 5.
The bond and charter amendment will be placed on the May 4 general election ballot. Council hopes voters will approve ballot items, including expenses related to roads, parks and public safety, a new public works facility and a new municipal complex. In addition, the proposed charter amendment would make it easier for residents to trigger a city member recall election.
City Bond
The approved bond includes $350 million worth of bond projects to be divided into
five areas, including:
McKinney parks and recreation ($91 million)
• McKinney Senior Recreation Center improvements
• Apex Center expansion
• athletic field improvements
• Community Park improvements
• future land acquisitions.
Transportation ($100 million)
• arterial roadway expansion
• roadway construction and reconstruction
• traffic signal improvements
Public safety ($75 million)
• 100,000-square-foot expansion to McKinney Public Safety facility
• new vehicle parking structure
• land acquisition for future fire stations
• security upgrades
• accessibility improvements
• lighting improvement projects
• Town Center infrastructure improvements
New Municipal Community Complex ($50 million)
• new facility to house multiple city departments
New public works facility ($34 million)
• new fleet maintenance facility
• new fuel station
• new vehicle wash station
• new public works warehouse
• new traffic engineering facilities
• new park maintenance facilities
• site work and paving
Early voting opens April 22 and election day is May 4.
City Charter
Council approved to place an charter amendment on the election ballot, which would ease the requirements that prompt a city recall election.
Under
the proposed amendment, a recall petition would need signatures from at least 30 percent of the total number of voters who cast ballots in the last regular municipal election, provided, that the petition contains at least 1,000 signatures. The city’s current charter requires signatures from at least 25 percent of the total number of voters who cast ballots in the last regular municipal election, provided, that the petition contains the signatures of at least 15 percent of qualified voters. The proposed amendment means fewer signatures will be needed in a recall petition.
The proposed amendment would also give residents 45 days to collect signatures as opposed to 30 days required under the current charter.
All council members voted in favor of the charter amendment, with the exception of councilman La'Shadion Shemwell.
"I have some reservations on letting 2-percent, or less than 2-percent, of residents dictate the leaders of the city," Shemwell said.
Recall process
- Council calls for charter election Feb. 5
- Residents vote on charter May 4
- If charter amendment is approved, residents can collect signatures
- If enough signatures are valid, a recall election would be held in November
- If council member is recalled, he or she could run in the May 2020 election to fill seat; seat would remain empty until after the May 2020 election
