We’ve asked you before and you responded in force. Last November, you packed the hall of the Bond Advisory committee meeting to advocate for $120 million for open space funding in a new Pima County bond election. And it made a huge difference.
Now, we need you one more time.
On April 21, the Board of Supervisors will be making the final decision about whether to approve a bond election for November 3, 2015 and what to include in the bond package.
We need you there to support $95 million for new open space purchases and to stand up for the Sonoran Desert. (Note: Many of the bond categories had to be cut back to keep the total bond program under a cap of $653 million. This is why the open space category was reduced from $120 million to $95 million.)
When: Tuesday, April 21st (the meeting starts at 9am but we will update this page when the meeting agenda is released and we have a better understanding of when the Board will be deliberating about the bond program)
Where: Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, Pima County Administration Building, 130 West Congress St., 1st Floor, downtown Tucson
What: Attend the Board of Supervisors meeting. Your presence is all that is needed! We will have a targeted group of people speaking to the Board and they will ask everyone in favor of open space funding to stand at the same time. This large show of force will make a big impression!
If you have any questions, please call us at 520.388.9925. We’d love to talk to you and are happy to answer any and all questions!
Empire grasslands is just one of the beautiful open spaces protected using bond funds. Photo credit to Thomas Wiewandt.
Background
For background on previous Open Space bond campaigns, go here.
What are general obligation bonds?
General obligation bonds are a common form of financing used by cities, towns, counties, school districts and other local governments. These governments sell bonds to investors and use the revenue to fund capital improvement projects. General obligation bonds are attractive to investors because the interest earned is typically tax-exempt. In the case of Pima County, the County then levies an annual property tax to repay the bonds. The County also varies the amount of bonds sold each year in order to prevent property taxes from varying considerably from one year to another. The Board of Supervisors has imposed upon themselves a cap on how much property tax will be levied annually to each property owner, which is 81½ cents per $100 of valuation; currently the rate is 70 cents per $100 of valuation.
What types of projects will be in the 2015 bond?
Natural area/open space conservation
Parks, swimming pools, libraries and community centers
Museums and performing arts facilities
Historic rehabilitation & cultural preservation
Zoo exhibits
Public health centers
Expanded bicycle and pedestrian facilities
Economic development
A full list of approved bond projects can be found at: webcms.pima.gov > Government
> Bonds > Future Bond Election Planning
The official memo from County Administrator C.H. Huckelberry to the Board of Supervisors about a special 2015 Bond Election can be read here.