As if we didn't have enough to think about on November 4th, Denton County has placed a $495 million bond package on the ballot. If passed, $310 million will fund road projects and $185 million will fund new buildings and technology.
According to County Judge Mary Horn, taxpayers should only see a 1 cent per $100 valuation increase in their property taxes to fund the bond, assuming Denton County continues its trend of an 8-12% increase in tax base every year.
The road projects are broken down by Denton County's 4 precincts, which can be viewed in pdf format via the Denton Record Chronicle. The county expects that by offering up its own money on road projects, that other government entities will pony up to pay for the remainder.
County Commissioner candidates in Precinct 1 have opposing views on the bond package. But surprisingly, the Republican is in favor of the bond and the Democrat is against. Republican Hugh Coleman addresses the need for additional buildings, but Democrat Phyllis Wolper takes a more cautious view, considering the county has not actually secured the additional funding needed for the proposed projects.
It is the opinion of the Texas Cloverleaf that Denton County voters vote yes on this bond. If the estimated property tax increase is accurate, it amounts to an additional $15 in property tax on a home valued at $150,000. That is about 5 cents per day. It is probably best to invest our daily nickels, so that Denton County can keep up in the 21st Century. Many county services are spread out, and this will help consolidate them. It also invests in fiber optic technology. Most importantly, many roads will be upgraded. Denton County's transportation needs are well known. This may only be a drop in the bucket to solve that issue, but at least it is a drop.
2 comments:
I may be a little late on this, but.... I looked over this package and I agree with Mrs. Wolper about being cautious. Denton officials have yet to secure any of the money from state and federal governments. There is also a good possibility that this is the minimum it will cost.
Why are we putting a package through this election when we haven't secured the money. I agree we need a plan and an upgrade in our system, but it needs to be thought out before being pushed on the people of Denton.
Looking backwards on previous bonds the Denton has put out, and assuming an ultra conservative 5% bond rate, the county would lose about $25 million/year to get this done now. So by time we are done with this project it will have cost taxpayers closer to $1 billion by the time it is paid off. Food for thought.
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