When Missouri City residents head to the ballot this November, they will vote on three bond propositions that will support mobility, facility, and parks and recreation projects.

In a 5-1 vote, Missouri City City Council called the $85.85 million bond election at its Aug. 16 meeting. Council Member Vashaundra Edwards voted against the motion, and Council Member Anthony Maroulis was not present at the meeting.

“All we are voting on is for this to be placed on the ballot so that the citizens can vote,” Mayor Robin Elackatt said. “This way every single person will ... make their own independent decisions on whether they want this or not.”

If all three propositions are approved by voters, the maximum interest and sinking, or I&S, tax rate needed to fund the projects is $0.1757 per $100 of assessed valuation, according to city documents. This represents a maximum I&S tax rate increase of $0.0302 over the fiscal year 2020-21 rate.

Financial Services Director Allena Portis said because the city’s assessed property values came in higher than anticipated, the maximum tax rate needed to support the bond is less than the previously estimated $0.1956 I&S tax rate.

• Proposition A: $51,615,000 for street, bridge and sidewalk improvements
• Proposition B: $11,220,000 for public facilities
• Proposition C: $23,015,000 for parks and recreation projects

Edwards expressed objection to the additional $800,000 proposed for Ridgeview Park included in Proposition C. City Council recently approved spending $66,000 to install a splash pad at Ridgeview Park following a $750,000 donation from Quail Valley Fund and $88,000 from Park Zone 7 for the project.

“I find that highly appalling that we are going to spend that amount of money on one particular park,” Edwards said. “I’m asking for my colleagues to reconsider voting for this item considering that we have other parks that need treatment, need refurbishing, need repairing.”

Interim City Manager Bill Atkinson said while these are proposed projects, the actual list of projects that will be funded by the bond will not appear on the ballot.

The propositions approved by City Council closely resembles the bond recommendation from the Missouri City Bond Exploratory Committee. Aug. 16 was the last day City Council could order a special bond election. Election day is Nov. 2.