What you need to know
Residents voted down nearly $100 million in funding for police headquarters improvements, a new library, parks improvements, and a new public works and parks service center.
Only propositions A and F passed, totaling $95.1 million for roadway improvements and downtown upgrades out of the full $192.3 million package.
Mayor David Bristol said the town anticipates moving forward with the approved roadway and downtown projects in summer 2026.
What’s happening?
Of the failed propositions, Bristol said the public works service center is his top priority for alternative funding.
“We have to get our public works people out of the double-wide trailers that they are working out of currently,” Bristol said. “We will put aside other projects to get that facility completed.”
Bristol said the town is considering using capital dedicated funds to piece together a similar version of the proposed facility. Mayor Pro Tem Amy Bartley said at a Nov. 11 meeting officials had previously earmarked $15 million for the new public works facility, in addition to the $10 million that was included in the bond.
Although improvements to the police headquarters failed to secure funding, Bristol said the department will be able to use a police substation within the additional housing approved in August for the Gates of Prosper.
With the library proposition failing, Bristol said the town will not build a stand-alone library at this time.
“When the library was made part of Town Hall, that was always a temporary solution. ... Eventually we’re going to run out of space [in Town Hall],” Bristol said. “Our residents who use the library are going to continue to be overcrowded and [see] longer wait times for programs.”
Bristol said town officials are examining ways to manage overcrowding and rising demand, potentially by reviewing library fees and tightening program eligibility.
“We are planning for the future in a very fiscally conservative way,” Bristol said.
He said the current police station and the proposed stand-alone library were designed to allow future expansion.
Bristol said the failure of the $24 million parks and recreation proposition will pause all major recreational improvements for at least the next three years.
“We’re not going to build new facilities, so that means no new pickleball courts, no new basketball courts, no new tennis courts for the near feature,” Bristol said. “There’ll be no additional parks that will be coming online during the intervening period.”
He noted this will include the 162-acre Doe Branch Park on the town’s west side.
“We don’t have any funds for [Doe Branch],” Bristol said. “That will remain unprogrammed and without any facilities over there, so [it’ll] just be open space.”
Zooming in
Bristol said broader financial pressures, such as rising home appraisals and higher overall tax bills, may have left residents more cautious about supporting additional spending.
“This was a no additional tax rate election ... but that does not mean that taxes are not going to go up,” Bristol said. “That is related to the appraisal value of your home, but the rate that the town is charging is not going to go up.”
He also noted recent economic uncertainty, including the recent government shutdown that ended Nov. 12, may have influenced voters’ hesitation.
“I believe there’s a general climate of economic uncertainty,” Bristol said. “The overall idea of potentially paying more tax dollars, it’s a very difficult ask in this environment.”
The other side
Doug Charles, Prosper resident and former Prosper Planning and Zoning commissioner, said the results reflected what he saw as poor communication and planning.
Charles, who served on the 2020 Bond Election Committee, said some voters viewed the rejected projects—such as the new library and police headquarters expansion—as undersized and poorly timed, while the approved projects were seen as necessary infrastructure.
“I’m not anti-library. I’m just pro-common sense,” Charles said. “Let's build it once, not twice—unless we're going to build it once and expand it with a thoughtful plan that's communicated.”
Charles said some voters were also concerned about rising property taxes, even if the bond would not increase the town’s tax rate.
“My mom couldn't live here if she wanted to, if she'd own her house, because she can't afford the property taxes,” Charles said.
What’s next?
After Prosper voters approved a $210 million bond in 2020, rapid growth led the town to accelerate the program, completing it six years instead of the original 10, Deputy Town Manager Bob Scott said previously. As a result, town officials expect the 2020 bond funds to be out of capacity, meaning fully issued for capital projects, by next year.
Bristol said the town cannot issue certificates of obligation for three years following the 2025 bond election, which limits some alternative funding options.
“We’re going to respect the wishes of the voters,” Bristol said. “The people and residents of Prosper got out and voted, and I’m grateful for those who did, and I appreciate their willingness to engage in the democratic process.”
