Council reviews geo bond election results; staff outlines fall bond issuance and phased project delivery

Independence city leaders used the April 14 study session to review recent election results and to describe next steps for implementing voter-approved projects tied to the geo bond measure.

City officials reminded the council that the November/April ballot questions required a 57% approval threshold under state statute for the bond questions; staff read the results: Question 2, funding roads, bridges and sidewalks, passed with 60.6% approval; Question 3 (historic sites and parks) received 54.4% and failed to reach the 57% threshold; Question 1 (public safety) failed with 47.2% support.

The city manager outlined the next steps for the passed question 2: the city must prepare bonding documents, work with financial advisers, underwriters and bond counsel, and plan to issue the first tranche of bonds no later than this fall. Staff said issuing bonds will be done in a series of tranches so the city has a reasonable purpose to spend the funds within a required window and to time construction bidding cycles; municipal services staff has begun scheduling candidate projects and staff plans to publish schedules and project-level information to the website and to the sales-tax street oversight committees.

The city manager said staff would meet with the council’s audit and finance committee and with sales-tax oversight groups to explain allocations and spending schedules; staff also said it will aim to bid projects this winter so construction could begin in spring, subject to contractor availability and weather. Council members noted that some bridge work that is already designed might be feasible to accelerate if contractors have capacity later in the season.

Council members and staff emphasized that the work of community engagement must continue regarding the two failed questions and that staff will return with scheduling, delivery priorities and regular reporting to oversight committees and to the council.