DALLAS — An Austin, Texas panel opted to put a bare-bones $300 million transportation bond referendum on the November ballot despite Mayor Steve Adler's request for $720 million of general obligation bonds to finance major road expansions.
The city council's mobility committee voted 4-0 on Tuesday to recommend the $300 million plan to the full council later this month. The council has until Aug. 22 to put a GO bond referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Adler's proposal would require a 2-cent increase in the city's property tax rate of $4.589 per $1,000 of assessed value to bring the available bonding capacity to $720 million. The higher tax rate would add $60 per year to the average residential property tax bill, the mayor said.
The $300 million proposal by councilwoman Ann Kitchen would not require a property tax hike.
The Kitchen plan would allocate $46.5 million to expand one major city road, $123.5 million on upgrades to arterial streets, $91 million for road repair, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes, $25 million on intersection improvements, and $14 million for public transit.
The $300 million of projects in her package is a minimum effort that can be funded at the current tax rate but the list could be expanded before an election is set, Kitchen said.
"There is no done deal out there," Kitchen told members of the panel. "We have a number of ideas."
The city must reserve some of its potential bonding capacity for a larger proposal in 2017 or 2018 that could include parks, libraries, and maybe even light rail, she said.
"From my perspective, this is a good starting point for discussion," Kitchen said. "We must do something."
Adler wants to allocate $500 million of the bond proceeds to upgrades to major city thoroughfares that could include bike lanes and sidewalks, but no additional traffic lanes. His plan also includes $100 million for major regional highway projects and $120 million for hike and bike lanes along city streets.
"Our council and community should have a robust discussion about this city's mobility needs, and all options should be considered," Adler said. "There still needs to be much discussion among the council and our community as to whether that is the right amount for a bond this year."
Kitchen's bond plan is too small to solve the city's traffic woes, said Adler spokesman Jason Stanford after the panel's vote.
"We've done the studies. Now it's time to take the test, and $720 million is a passing score," Stafford said. "A $300 million bond package will not do anything for traffic congestion or transit. It's time to go big or go home."
Council members Greg Casar and Leslie Pool, who are co-sponsoring the mayor's $720 million proposal, said they want to move $180 million from the regional and arterial projects that Adler is seeking and instead devote it to pedestrian and bicycle projects.
"Traditional approaches have not provided the traffic relief that we so badly need," Casar said. "We need to focus less on widening roads and more on supporting public transportation and promoting safety for our kids and seniors who need basic infrastructure like sidewalks and crosswalks."
Pool said she disagrees with many of the projects that Adler proposed.
"This isn't just about how many miles of concrete you can lay down," Pool said. "It's about building strong communities where you can walk to your neighbor's house for dinner, where your children can bike to school safely."
