El Pasoans on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to fund street repairs, while a new all-abilities playground and a climate change study eked out wins at the polls.
El Paso’s nearly $272.5 million bond package was split into three propositions, which voters decided individually:
- Proposition A includes $237 million spent over 10 years to fix streets, including repaving 46 main roads. It was favored by 61.3% of voters.
- Proposition B includes $20.8 million for park improvements, of which $10 million would go toward building an accessible park for children of different abilities in a yet to be determined location. It was supported by nearly 53% of voters.
- Proposition C includes $5 million to study and implement projects to reduce the impact of climate change. This proposition was supported by 50.6% of voters.
State law prohibits City Council from issuing certificates of obligation (non-voter approved debt) to pay for any rejected bond projects for at least three years — unless the projects are required under federal or state law.
The El Paso Progress political action committee reported spending nearly $21,000 through Oct. 29 on advertising and campaign expenses in support of the bond, which included mailers, social media ads and door-to-door canvassing. The PAC received a $10,000 contribution from Hunt Companies and a $20,000 contribution from the El Paso Association of Contractors. All together, it reported raising $46,750 through Oct. 29.
The city estimated that passage of all three bond propositions would raise property taxes by $60 a year on an average value home.
