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Celina officials plan to spend over $853 million on infrastructure projects over the next five years, starting with $189 million in 2026.
Celina City Council’s five-year capital improvement program outlines spending in a number of areas:
Council approved funding for 2026 at a March 10 meeting. Spending for 2027-30 is planned but has not been approved.
What’s being done
Utilities and roadwork are council’s top priorities based on the spending breakdown in the improvement plan.
In 2026, officials will spend nearly $87 million on pump stations, waterlines and sewer improvements.
Officials will also spend $68 million on roadways in 2026, including almost $18 million on downtown streets.
The plan sets aside $86.6 million over the next five years with the goal of converting all downtown streets to concrete in the next 10-15 years.
Council members made downtown streets a priority in a Feb. 4 work session.
“It was before the '60s that all these roads were redone,” Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Grumbles said. “So it’s time.”
The rapid conversion will come with tradeoffs, Assistant City Manager Kimberly Brawner said at the work session.
Working on multiple downtown road projects at the same time will be inconvenient for residents, and the city’s engineers will likely have to outsource some of the projects, leading to higher engineering costs than usual, she said.
The funding source
Funding will come from several different sources, according to city documents.
To pay for the improvements, city officials plan to issue $826.8 million in debt over five years.
This year, council plans to issue $140.5 million in debt through a certificate of obligation, a type of debt that does not need voter approval.
Council started the debt issuance process at the March 10 meeting and will vote on final approval May 12.
