Friendswood weighs putting $50.9M bond on November ballot

A $50.9 million bond package could be on the ballot in November if Friendswood City Council votes in favor of doing so at a future meeting.

The bond package proposal was presented by Bond Ad Hoc Committee Chair Robin Hall at City Council's June 1 meeting.

Cost to the taxpayers

If the bond proposal is approved by council as is and eventually passed by voters in November, the maximum estimated tax rate increase would be $0.01 per $100 valuation, according to the presentation.

For a resident with an average existing home value of $514,911, this translates to a tax increase of $41.19 per year, while the average new home would see an increase of about $59.92 per year.

Breaking it down

The proposal called flooding Friendswood’s “largest natural threat” and allocated the largest portion of the bond proposal, $20.34 million, to drainage improvements.

Unlike the 2019 bond, which focused on creeks, the 2026 bond package proposal shifts the focus to neighborhood-level storm sewer improvements and ponds, including major projects in the Falcon Ridge, Brill and Autumn Creek neighborhoods.

Items worth mentioning

A recreation center, estimated to cost between $37 million and $47 million, was omitted from the core $50.9 million package, according to the proposal.

While the committee noted the current senior center is at the end of its life cycle, they recommended placing the recreation center on a later ballot.

What residents should know

The city sent an email survey to residents June 2, asking for input by June 30 on which category is most important to them: city facilities, drainage, parks and open space improvements or streets and transportation.

The survey also asks whether residents would like to build a new recreation center.

Next steps

City Council will review survey results and consider which propositions and items to include on the November ballot at its July 6 meeting and whether to call a special election for the bond in August.