Needs versus wants played a major role in the discussion surrounding Amarillo’s most recent bond election and last night’s election results demonstrated what voters truly view as “needs.”
Of the seven bonds on the ballot, only two passed: Proposition One, an $89 million bond package addressing roads, and Proposition Two, a $20 million bond package allocated for public safety improvements.
The five other bonds on the ballot included $41.5 million for municipal building improvements, $22 million for park and recreational facilities, $83.4 million dedicated solely to expansion of the Amarillo Civic Center, $16 million for fleet services, and lastly, $66.6 million for improvements to athletic facilities. Within these measures were a wide variety of projects – both in terms of scale and price. All, however, were arguably low priority compared to infrastructure and public safety as they included projects like new splash pads, bathroom upgrades to city hall, and additions to the city civic center.
So what’s next? City officials had previously stated that regardless of the election outcomes, a majority of the projects proposed would still happen, but at a much slower pace.
