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Editor's note: This article has been updated to include information on the estimated tax impact of the bond.
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:
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.
