The last election for a bond package in town was held in 2002, which funded the construction of the town’s Community Activity Center and several athletic fields.
Calling a bond election marks a change in financial strategy for the town.
“Our council highly values public input when it comes to making spending decisions, so a [general obligation] bond election is probably one of the best ways to gauge public support,” John Zagurski, the town’s chief financial officer, said.
The overview
A 12-member committee was organized to put together recommendations for what could be included in the two bond propositions. The $112 million bond is not expected to raise property taxes in Flower Mound, if approved, Town Manager James Childers said.
The $82 million Proposition A could fund parks and recreation projects, including the expansion of the Community Activity Center.
At the Community Activity Center, the addition of an indoor leisure pool, expanded fitness area, multisport gyms and other amenities are proposed. This proposition could also include converting local soccer fields to synthetic turf and master planning the existing Prairie Trail Park. The west side of town could also get a 24-hour self-service library center, an outdoor reading oasis and trail connections if this proposition passes.
Proposition B for $30 million could fund street reconstruction if approved by voters.
The streets were chosen based on an assessment of streets that the town completed, Flower Mound’s Communications Director Melissa Demmitt said in an email. The town has a list of streets that could see construction if the proposition passes, but these aren’t finalized and roads will be prioritized based on their condition over the next five years.
“We’re in a position right now where a lot of our roads are coming up towards the end of their useful life,” Childers said.
How we got here
The projects proposed in the bond are too large for Flower Mound to cover using its cash reserves, which is historically how the town has paid for similar projects, Childers said. This is partially due to a bill signed in 2019 that limited municipalities to a 3.5% annual revenue increase from property taxes for operational expenses. Because of this, town officials are adopting a new financial strategy to shift dedicated sales tax funds to cover operations and maintenance costs, while using debt to finance major capital projects.
The Community Activity Center was identified for improvements as part of the town’s 2017 parks and recreation master plan, Chuck Jennings, Flower Mound’s director of parks and recreation, said. A feasibility study was also conducted in 2024 that recommended the renovation and expansion of the center.
Public feedback gathered between Nov. 12 and Dec. 4 found that most participants supported a majority of the proposed bond projects.
On Feb. 3, the council voted to put the two bond propositions on the May 3 ballot.
The impact
If approved, the projects included in the bond would be started in the next five years. If the bond isn’t approved, some of the proposed projects could be reduced in scope. Money that would have gone toward funding these projects could be allocated toward other things if the bond is approved, Childers said.
For example, sales tax dollars collected from the town could go toward extending the life of streets through road work contracts in town as opposed to funding their reconstruction.
What's next?
To help address resident questions about the bond, the town planned two town halls in April.
The first was held April 10 at the senior center and a second is scheduled at 6 p.m. April 17, Demmitt said.
Childers said bond elections could become more common for Flower Mound in the future.
“We’re not doing it in a haphazard manner,” Childers said. “We’re doing it very transparently. We’re having a broad conversation.”
