Beaumont council reviews $210 million bond package, seeks final wording and cost scenarios

Beaumont city leaders on Wednesday reviewed a bond package the Beaumont Bond Advisory Committee recommended after months of outreach and a community survey, with consultants and staff laying out a $210 million proposal and asking the council to finalize propositions and ballot language. The package the committee recommended and Gap Strategies presented groups projects into broad propositions including infrastructure (roads, drainage, sidewalks), parks and recreation, facilities and public safety, and downtown economic development. The package was described repeatedly as an advisory recommendation; the council did not adopt a final ordinance at the meeting. "The committee came back with a unanimous recommendation" to move forward with a bond package this fall, consultant Jeff Barton said. Why it matters: Council members said the package would affect property tax bills and asked for precise monthly estimates for an average home so voters can judge the tradeoffs. Consultants and staff gave a working estimate that the $210 million proposal would cost the owner of an average-valued home (presented as…