SAN ANTONIO TX 2017 BOND ELECTION – HOW DOES YOUR VOTE PAY OUT

READERS CAN FIND THE INFORMATION BELOW ON THE NORTH CENTRAL THOUSAND OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SAN ANTONIO, TX WEBSITE:

http://www.nctona.com/node/171

I AM POSTING THIS WITH THEIR PERMISSION AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION. I WANT TO GIVE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS AN IDEA OF WHAT THE BOND PROPOSAL WILL AND WON’T DO FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE NEIGHBORHOODS.

The bond issue consists of three parts: “Urban Core” projects, “City-wide” projects, and Council District allocations.  The City-wide projects include the “Urban Core” projects which are located largely in Districts One and Two.

URBAN CORE BOND PROJECTS:

• Broadway Corridor -- $43 Million – mainly street improvements
• Hemisfair Park -- $26 Million
• New Police Substation -- $20.5 Million – public facilities
• San Pedro Creek Development -- $19.5 Million – commercial upgrading, streets
• Commerce Street -- $20 Million
• Santa Rosa Street -- $14 Million
• Alamo-area Streets -- $13.7 Million
• Main & Soledad Streets -- $12 Million
• South Alamo Street -- $9 Million
• Alamo -- $8.7 Million – this falls under “parks”
• Brackenridge Park -- $7.8 Million
• Botanical Garden -- $7 Million
• San Saba Street -- $7 Million
• Expanded Zoo Parking -- $12 Million
• Cameron Street -- $4.5 Million
• Central Library -- $3 Million – this falls under “public facilities”
• Witte/Brackenridge Parking Garage -- $2 Million – “public facilities”
• La Villita -- $1.3 Million

GENERAL CITY-WIDE PROJECTS (less Urban Core)

Council Districts 8, 9, 10:

• Capital Little League Baseball Fields -- $2,000,000 (located in CD-10)
• Hardberger Park land-bridge -- $15,000,000 (located between CD-8 and CD-9; half roads, half parks)
• Wurzbach Corridor Improvements (Hardberger Park) -- $2,000,000
• Classen - Steubing Ranch Park Development -- $5,510,000 (park will be in CD-10)
• Classen - Steubing Ranch Park Property Acquisition -- $4,000,000

All these issues will be carried under “parks” on the ballot.

All Other Council Districts:

• Low income housing -- $20,000,000 – falls under “Neighborhood improvements”
• Public art -- $8,000,000 – “Neighborhood improvements”
• Port San Antonio Comprehensive Drainage Improvements -- $24,000,000 – falls under “flooding”
• Vance Jackson Low Water Crossing Improvements -- $6,357,000
• UTSA Athletics Complex Facilities -- $10,000,000 – carried under “parks”
• UIW Sports in Brooks City Base -- $2,800,000
• Brooks City Base South New Braunfels -- $10,400,000 – commercial development, streets
• Brooks City Base Research Plaza -- $10,000,000 – commercial development, streets        
• Brooks City Base-Inner Circle Louis Bauer to Research Streets -- $3,000,000
• World Heritage/ Cultural Arts Center Facilities -- $5,000,000 – falls under “public facilities”
• World Heritage Park & Land Acquisition -- $2,500,000
• Lone Star Area Streets (World Heritage) -- $5,000,000 – falls under “streets”
• World Heritage Trail Signage -- $5,000,000 – falls under “parks”
• Mission Road San Antonio River -- $2,000,000
• Martin Luther King Park -- $3,100,000
• Pearsall Park -- $3,000,000
• Woodlawn Lake Park -- $3,000,000
• Roosevelt Avenue HWY 90 to Loop 410 -- $8,000,000 – carried under “streets”
• Medical Center Phase X Ewing Halsell at Louis Pasteur --$7,170,000 – falls under “public facilities”
• Medical Center Right Turn Lane Louis Pasteur and Babcock Streets -- $1,600,000
• South Presa S.E. Military to Southcross -- $5,000,000 – “streets”
• Southcross IH 37 to IH 35 -- $5,000,000 – “streets”
• O.P. Schnabel Park Entrance -- $1,100,000

HOW WERE BOND PROJECTS PICKED?

The decision-making that shaped the bond issue was done by three City agencies.  The first is the Council-appointed Planning Commission, consisting of nine members, five of whom (a voting majority) were nominated by the Real Estate Council of San Antonio (RECSA.)  Second, and overseeing the lion’s share of projects, is the City’s Transportation and Capital Improvements Department (TCI) under its director Mike Frisbie.  Third, and to a much lesser degree, the City’s Planning and Community Development Department (PCD), formerly headed by Mr. John Dugan and presently directed by Ms. Bridgett White, solicited citizen input through a series of meetings called “SA Tomorrow.”  Although visionary, the “SA Tomorrow” findings were heavily redacted by the RECSA-dominated Planning Commission members to favor Development interests, especially as they relate to maintaining impervious cover (asphalt and concrete) and continuing environmentally unsound construction techniques which promote flooding and light pollution.

HOW IS THE BOND TO BE FINANCED?

Express-News columnist David Hendricks (Sunday, 2 October 2016) wrote that, due to San Antonio’s excellent “AAA” credit rating, it could obtain bond money for as little as 2.79% per annum.  On $850 million, at that rate the interest would amount to about $24 million per year.  Over ten years, therefore, the bond could cost taxpayers $240 million in interest payments in addition to repayment of principal.  The total cost of Mayor Taylor’s bond by the year 2026 therefore would be in the neighborhood of $1.1 billion.  If financed over twenty years, the cost could rise to $1.35 billion.  Municipal bonds would be issued through Wall Street brokerage houses.  They would be paid off through City taxation.