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Bond questions approved by council
Voting stickers for voters at a voting center located in the Daskalos shopping center at Menaul Blvd., in northeast Albuquerque on Election Day on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.(Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal)
The city governing body approved a resolution that authorizes placement of ballot questions for the March 5 municipal election next year.
The questions highlight needs in road, public safety and quality-of-life facilities bonds. Deputy City Manager Peter Wells says the bonds do not increase property taxes. The three bonds total $16 million.
The roads bond will fund reconstruction of Lema Road from Westside Blvd. to Chessman Drive, 19th Avenue from 10th Street to Cherry Road, and Safelite Blvd. from US 550 to Enchanted Hills Blvd. Reconstruction involves removing all existing asphalt to native raw dirt and building the section correctly based on road classification. The funds are estimated to be around $9.28 million.
The public safety bond will fund the replacement of 17 police vehicles, replacement of the crisis negotiation team vehicle, replacement of a fire and rescue ladder truck and replacement of a fire and rescue engine. Many vehicles were issued in 2017. The current crisis negotiation team vehicle is a repurposed ambulance. The funds are estimated to be around $3.885 million.
The quality-of-life facilities bond will fund replacement of basketball courts at Star Heights Park, replacement of playground and surfacing and addition of shade structure at Vista Sandia Park and library materials and equipment. The funds are estimated to be around $1.068 million.
All three bonds are totaled for projects after accounting for required 1% for the Arts, bond issuance costs and contingency. So the road bond started at $10.6 million, the public safety bond started at $4.2 million and the quality of life facilities bond started at $1.2 million.
The city clerk was required to add these questions to the ballot.
