There will be six bond propositions for registered Plano voters to weigh in on during the May 1 election.
Plano City Council officially called for the roughly $364 million in bond propositions to appear on the ballot at a meeting Feb. 8. Propositions will be as follows, according to city documentation:
- Proposition A, $231 million in projects for street improvements: This proposition includes eight street improvement projects, the largest of which is street reconstruction and overlay, estimated at $100 million. This is the largest project in the entire $364 million bond. Also included in the street improvements proposition is alley reconstruction, intersection improvements, street and screening wall reconstruction, and sidewalk and traffic improvements.
- Proposition B, $81.9 million in projects for parks and recreational facilities: There are 14 projects included in this proposition, including trail and park improvements and renovations, lighting replacements and roof replacements at various facilities. The most expensive of the projects is community park renovations, which applies to any community parks 20 years or older and is estimated at nearly $21 million in costs.
- Proposition C, $15.9 million for improvements to the Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center: Proposed updates to the center include fire, sound, lighting and irrigation systems; a roof replacement; parking lot light replacements; updates to interior paint and flooring; an interior pool deck, slide and play feature replacement; and exterior pool equipment and shade structure replacement as well as some minor building modifications.
- Proposition D, $27.1 million in projects for public safety facilities: This proposition includes 12 public safety facility improvement projects. A majority of the projects relate to updates for fire stations throughout the city, including the most expensive of which is Fire Station No. 8's remodel for an estimated $12 million. Also included are renovations for the police training academy and a $4 million investment into two fueling stations for public safety vehicles.
- Proposition E, $5.5 million for improvements to existing municipal facilities: This proposition includes the renovation of City Council chambers located at 1520 K Ave., including the replacement of audio and visual equipment and improved lighting, acoustics, mobility and accessibility. These updates would make the chambers compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to staff.
- Proposition F, $2.5 million in projects for library facilities: There are seven projects included in the city's smallest proposition. Facility improvements to windows, roofs and lighting would apply to Schimelpfenig, Haggard and Parr libraries in this proposition.
The only change from previous discussions Jan. 25 was the inclusion of two proposed fueling stations for public safety vehicles in the overarching public safety proposition, rather than the stations being singled out as a separate proposition.
If passed in its entirety, the owner of an average-valued home in Plano can expect to see a maximum tax rate impact of $67.71 by fiscal year 2024-25. This estimate is based on current property values as well as expected home value growth and existing debt from previous city bonds, Budget Director Karen Rhodes-Whitley said. The tax rate impact is subject to change.
Calling for the bond election by City Council is one of the final steps in a nearly yearlong effort by city staff and council to ready propositions for the ballot.
This step by council was delayed slightly by discussions on the final aspects of the propositions. Council Member Shelby Williams called for the bond to be cut by a significant amount after being surprised by the total of the selected projects by council at the previous meeting. There was also a push for further breaking out projects into their own propositions by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Ricciardelli. Neither effort was acted on by council Feb. 8.
The city of Plano posted a bond election notice to its webpage and will begin sharing social posts, flyers and presentations on the bond and its impacts on residents March 1. Descriptions of each proposed project in the bond can be found here, although bond money can be applied to other projects as needed once the total amounts are approved by voters.
Also at the Feb. 8 meeting, Plano City Council called for the special election of Place 7 to be placed on the ballot for May 1. This council seat is open following Lily Bao's resignation to run for Plano mayor. Bao filed for the mayoral race Feb. 8, she shared at the council meeting.
The special election will be held in conjunction with races for Places 2, 4, 6—the mayoral seat—and 8, as well as the vote on bond propositions. Early voting will run from April 19-27, and election day is May 1.
