City council formally voted today to place an $850 million bond package, the largest bond issue ever floated by any government entity in Bexar County history, on the May ballot, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"There are no city property tax rate increases in this bond, which is incredibly important," Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran said.
The bond package comes in six parts, each one of which will be voted on separately.
By far the largest, about half of the total bond package, is for streets, bridges, and sidewalk construction and repair.
Other parts include a section for Drainage and Flood Control, for Parks, Recreation and Open Space, for Neighborhoods, for Public Safety, which is mainly the construction and renovation of police and fire stations, and for Libraries, Historical and Cultural attrations.
Among the amenities which would be improved by the money include the World Heritage area around the Missions, the renovation of Alamo Plaza, and the improvements to Hemisfair Civic Park.
"If one of the six propositions does not pass, than those projects do not go forward, funded by the bond program," City Manager Sheryl Sculley said.
The City has rejected criticism that the bond is too focused on downtown, pointing out that only 20% of the funding is earmarked for downtown projects, and most of those, like Alamo Plaza, are not improvements to benefit downtown residents, but to benefit the entire community.