Pflugerville residents will not be voting on a bond this November after city leaders decided against a bond election at their Aug. 11 meeting.
How we got here
Following recommendations from a bond advisory committee and a community survey with over 500 responses, staff presented council with three potential bond propositions, totaling $87.4 million. They include:
- Parks
- Citywide trail improvements: $10 million
- Destination Playspace Phase 2: $13.2 million
- 1849 Park Phase 3: $26.3 million
- Parks and trails land acquisition: $7 million
- Reunion Park: $5.2 million
- Animal Services
- New animal shelter: $20.6 million
- Parking
- Downtown core parking: $5.2 million
What they’re saying
Several council members said now is not the time to call a bond election. Council member Melody Ryan said the city has six major projects totaling nearly $1 billion that are all in progress as well as 2020 bond projects that are just starting.
“We’re not in the business of putting bonds to fail,” Place 4 Council Member Rudy Metayer said. “We heard back from the citizens that, at this moment in time, we know these are things that the city needs, but not right now given affordability and inflation.”
The discussion
Council recognized the need for a new animal shelter. This project would replace Pflugerville’s existing animal shelter with a facility designed to better serve animals, staff, volunteers and the public, according to city staff. The new shelter would upgrade animal care, support expanded programs and create an improved adoption experience for the community.
Pflugerville Animal Welfare Services staff presented council with potential new locations for the shelter, including near Lake Pflugerville and on Pfennig Lane. The current shelter is at 1600 Waterbrook Drive.
“I recognize the need for improvements related to the animal shelter, I really like the options that were presented to us,” Mayor Doug Weiss said. “I think there needs to be some refining to that.”
According to the city survey, the Pflugerville Animal Shelter currently runs out of a former open-air garage that floods, experiences frequent HVAC failures and fails to meet operational standards. About 38% of survey respondents said they are “very likely” to support a $20.6 million new animal shelter bond.
“PAWS breaks my heart,” Place 2 Council Member Ceasar Ruiz said. “But what hurts me even more is how much the citizens are hurting right now and how that’s going to put a burden on them that we don’t need to do right now.”
