$125M in bonds on Albuquerque ballot
Items include streets, police cars, parks
Albuquerque is asking voters this fall to approve $125 million in bonds that would pay for street repairs, police cars, developing new parks and a host of other big capital projects.
The projects are broken into a series of 11 questions on the Oct. 3 ballot.
Approval of the bond package wouldn’t result in a tax increase, city officials say, because new bonds are issued as old ones are paid off.
But rejecting all 11 bond questions would reduce annual property taxes for city residents — about $41 on a home valued at $100,000, or $62 on a $150,000 home.
Here’s a look at what’s on the ballot:
About $16 million for public safety projects, including $6.1 million for the purchase of police and fire vehicles. There’s also money to repair and improve a variety of police and fire buildings.
About $14.5 million to improve senior and community centers. The package includes $3 million to build a gym at the North Domingo Baca complex in the Northeast Heights and $3 million to acquire land at Cibola Loop for a future library.
About $17 million for parks and recreation projects, including $2.5 million to acquire land for preservation as open space and $2 million to improve irrigation in parks.
Nearly $11.6 million to carry out energy and water conservation projects, renovate city buildings, improve computer security, upgrade information technology and handle similar work.
About $6 million for libraries, including $3 million to buy books and materials. There’s also $2 million that would go toward an International District library.
About $32.5 million for street projects, including rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads and intersections throughout the city. The proposal includes $1 million to improve Unser NW between Central and Interstate 40, $900,000 to widen Alameda
between Interstate 25 and Louisiana, and $1 million to improve Ladera NW between Coors and Gavin.
About $6 million for public transportation, including $4.5 million to buy buses and vans.
About $14 million for drains, pump stations and projects to improve the quality of storm water that flows into the Rio Grande.
About $1.6 million for museums, cultural attractions and a Route 66 visitors center on West Central.
About $4 million for affordable-housing projects.
About $1 million to support redevelopment in Downtown, the Barelas rail yards and other parts of the city.
Terri Cole, president and CEO of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, said her organization supports passage of the bond package.
“These bonds are vital to the future maintenance of important community assets for police and for senior and citizen centers,” she said.