Current situation
The council passed a motion during a July 22 special session to adjust a certificate of obligation bond to a maximum of $21.6 million for the city campus project, which had previously been set at just over $24 million.
Council members Jennifer McCrea and Drew Wasson voted in favor of the motion, and council members Simon Hughes and Connie Rossi opposed, with council member Michelle Mitcham absent. Mayor James Singleton broke the tie with a vote to approve the motion.
The bond is planned to appear on the November ballot for voter approval, but Singleton said details are subject to change before Aug. 18, the council’s last day to finalize the ballot.
The council also unanimously approved a motion to have residents vote on a $6.5 million general bond for a city pool. Last November, voters failed to approve a $10.1 million pool bond, citing high costs.
The specifics
The City Council began its discussion about pool funding during a regular meeting July 21, but Singleton recessed until the next day after council members said they couldn’t make a decision about a city pool without discussing the city campus project, which was not on the regular agenda.
The city campus discussion lasted over two hours during special session, with several failed motions, before the council approved putting the $21.6 million adjusted bond on the ballot.
The council’s disagreement primarily centered on the project cost and scope, with Hughes and Rossi in favor of a scaled-back, piecemeal approach. McCrea and Wasson did not support a phased approach to construction of the city campus.
While the project financing did not originally require voter approval, the council certified a resident petition July 21 calling for a bond election regarding the city campus project.
Council members also certified a second petition July 21 calling for voter approval of proposed utility improvements, and the council is expected to place the bond proposal on the November ballot as is.
Looking ahead
The City Council is set to adopt a budget for fiscal year 2025-26 and finalize the November ballot at its next meeting Aug. 18.
Find a breakdown of the proposed city budget and city campus here.
