City of Austin Bond Propositions 12 to 18

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Bond money is the subject of these propositions, which include transportation, parks and recreation improvements, affordable housing, public safety, and health and human services.

Below are listed Propositions 12 through Proposition 18, from the League of Women Voters' Guide.

PROPOSITION 12: TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY

Question: The issuance of $143,299,000 transportation and mobility improvement bonds and notes and the levy of a tax sufficient to pay for the bonds and notes. $143.299 million would be used for transportation projects, which could include:

• Funding traffic signals
• signal synchronization
• control systems
• Improving parts of Interstate 35, MoPac, North Lamar, East 51st St and East Riverside Dr.
• Reconstruction and renovation of streets, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, ramps, bicycle lanes, and drainage improvements
• Adding bikeways to some city roads and contributing to creation of the Violet Crown Trail, a 30-mile
  trail from Zilker Park to Hays County.

PROPOSITION 13: OPEN SPACE AND WATERSHED PROTECTION

Question:  The issuance of $30,000,000 open space and watershed protection bonds and notes and the levy of a tax sufficient to pay for the bonds and notes. $30 million would allow the City to purchase land in the Barton Springs Watershed contributing and recharge zones to protect water quality. Purchase of this land would preserve open space in perpetuity and might provide opportunities for development of facilities for public access to open space land where appropriate. The City could also work with land owners by purchasing conservation easements.

PROPOSITION 14:  PARKS AND RECREATION

Question: The issuance of $77,680,000 park and recreation improvement bonds and notes and the levy of a tax sufficient to pay for the bonds and notes. $77.680 million could be used for designing, constructing, acquiring, improving and equipping public parks, natural areas, trails, recreation centers, and related facilities. Funding could also allow acquisition and development of parkland in areas throughout the City. Representative Parks may include:

• Colony District Park
• Emma Long Metropolitan Park
• Gus Garcia Neighborhood Park
• Republic
• Brush
• Wooldridge Squares
• Rosewood Neighborhood Park
• Shoal Creek Greenbelt
• Veterans Pocket Park
• Waller Creek Trail and Park Improvements
• Zilker Metropolitan Park.

Facility Improvements may include: Barton Springs Bathhouse renovation; Dougherty Arts Center repair or replacement; Dove Springs Recreation Center expansion; Elisabet Ney Museum renovation; and Montopolis Community Building-Recreation Center.

PROPOSITION 15:  HOUSING

Question:  The issuance of $78,300,000 housing bonds and notes and the levy of a tax sufficient to pay for the bonds and notes. $78.300 million would be used to fund the development of affordable rental and ownership housing, preserve existing affordable housing, and create transitional and permanent supportive housing for the
homeless.

To create both rental housing and affordable ownership homes, funding will be provided for grants and loans to qualified non-profit and for-profit developers. The grants and loans could be used to acquire property, design and construct new housing, or rehabilitate existing housing.

Funds could also be used for transitional and permanent supportive housing for individuals with special needs.

Funds may also be used for home repair to address substandard or hazardous housing conditions for low- and moderate-income homeowners, alleviating hazards and preserving affordable housing.

Funding could also provide renters with disabilities with accessibility modifications to make residences livable.

PROPOSITION 16:  PUBLIC SAFETY

Question:  The issuance of $31,079,000 public safety facility improvement bonds and notes and the levy of a tax sufficient to pay for the bonds and notes. $31.079 million would provide funding for designing, constructing, improving, and equipping police, fire, and emergency medical services facilities.

Projects could include renovations, expansions, and new public safety facilities.

The types of projects that could be undertaken may include but are not limited to the following:  

• Northwest Police Substation
• Mounted Patrol Police Facility
• Onion Creek Area Fire and EMS Station
• Women’s Locker Room Additions to Fire Stations
• Fire Station Driveway Replacements
• Public Safety Drill Field and Tower Renovations
• Ambulance Truck Bay Expansions.  

PROPOSITION 17:  HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Question:  The issuance of $11,148,000 health and human services facility improvement bonds and notes and the levy of a tax sufficient to pay for the bonds and notes. $11.148 million would provide funding for designing, constructing, improving, and equipping health and human services facilities. Funding could include new facilities
to accommodate underserved areas of the community as well as renovations and infrastructure improvements at existing facilities.

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