There will be no quick trip down the ballot for North Texas voters in November. Beyond a marquee Senate race and other statewide, legislative and county contests, Dallas will decide the fate of millions in local bonds for police and fire projects.
Dallas: Five public-safety projects to replace aging facilities.
Dallas voters are being asked to approve a $443 million package for police training facilities, 911 and emergency operations, police evidence and crime-lab facilities and replacement of Fire Station No. 4. All five are bundled into one proposition.
Dallas estimates repaying the bonds would cost more than $629 million over two decades. Property taxes would support the debt, although officials do not expect the tax rate to increase.
The package includes $150 million for evidence storage and a crime lab, $149 million for a training complex and $82 million to complete the academy under construction at the University of North Texas at Dallas, $40 million for a new emergency center and $22 million for a downtown fire station.
City leaders say aging and inadequate facilities hinder police, fire and emergency operations. They say the projects would improve training, protect evidence and move 911 operations out of City Hall. The academy money would close a funding gap and keep construction on schedule.
Critics questioned seeking more debt less than three years after voters approved a $1.25 billion bond package. They also objected to bundling the projects instead of allowing separate votes.
Some City Council members worry that moving emergency operations could help clear the way for Dallas to abandon and demolish its I.M. Pei-designed City Hall.
Construction contracts, interest rates and bond-sale dates remain unsettled. Those factors will determine the final repayment cost and whether the allocations cover unforeseen expenses.