The San Antonio Chamber’s Transportation Committee hosted Luis Maltos, Assistant City Engineer, to discuss the City’s proposed 2017 Bond Program. Mr. Maltos presented all six propositions within the $850 million bond program, each of which will be considered separately on Election Day (May 6, 2017).
Maltos explained that 70% of the bond dollars will be dedicated to street and drainage infrastructure projects, 64 projects going toward streets, bridges and sidewalk improvements. In addition, $4.4 billion will be used to build and reconstruct streets in San Antonio, which is a serious priority given the 1.5 million new residents expected by 2040. The proposed bond program also calls for construction of 2,155 miles of sidewalks, which has an estimated cost of $1 billion, and 116 projects for flood control; parks, recreation and open space improvements; library and cultural facilities improvements; public safety facility improvements; and neighborhood improvements. Most importantly, the bond program proposes a project within one mile of where a San Antonio resident lives or works.
There was tremendous community engagement that went into developing the proposed bond program, and all 180 projects align with the City's SA Tomorrow Growth Plan. Through coordination with state, local, and private partnerships, the City will leverage $350 million in outside funding within 37 of the Bond Program projects.
The Chamber strongly believes the proposed bond program is vital to our community’s future economic competitiveness. The bond will address priority infrastructure needs and improve our quality of life, and the proposed projects will help connect communities to commerce and have a citywide impact. Most importantly, there will not be an increase in the City’s Property Tax Rate. By not raising taxes, the City will help maintain a favorable business climate.
The Chamber’s Board of Directors adopted a position statement in support of the proposed bond program on February 23, 2017, and we are actively working to inform San Antonio resident about the importance of casting their vote.
To learn more about the City’s proposed 2017 bond program, visit sanantonio.gov/2017bond.
