John Bogna
The Houston City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to add bond initiatives totaling almost half a million dollars to the November ballot. Where would that money go?
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According to the Houston Press, it breaks down like this: $158 million would go toward police and fire department projects; $104 million is slated for parks and recreation; $109 million for general government and building improvements; and $123 million goes toward library projects.
The Houston Fire Department would be using the money for new trucks, and the police department would be able to replace its fleet of vehicles, some of should retire soon. New community centers would be built, and a little over $1 million would be funneled into public school upgrades. A new solid waste department building is also in the plans, as is $16 million in repairs to Houston’s libraries.
No money will be included in the bond measure for affordable housing, as it has in the past. This, according to the Press, is because Mayor Sylvester Turner has said there is still $30 million in unused funds from the last affordable housing bond.
Turner says this money will be enough to hold the city over until the next bond. “Why ask for new debt when the previous funds haven’t been spent yet and would be enough to last until a future bond issue?” he told the Press.
“Why ask for new debt when the previous funds haven’t been spent yet and would be enough to last until a future bond issue?” he told the Press.
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