Council authorizes bond issuance to accelerate road work; vote splits 6–3

The Hammond Common Council approved an ordinance authorizing issuance and sale of bonds to finance street and road projects (Ordinance 25-09) after debate over timing, cost and the tradeoffs of borrowing for near-term paving.

In discussion Mayor Tom McDermott summarized choices before the council: “If you vote against this, you're saying you don't want any road work to be done this year on the roads with this money,” and said the measure would allow about $1.2 million of road work this summer rather than waiting until 2026.

Councilman Tyler raised financing details and said issuance costs would reduce the total amount available for overlays, citing an estimate of roughly $255,000 in fees and interest associated with the borrowing. During debate council members also discussed how many blocks could be paved with the available funds; one estimate mentioned roughly $45,000 per block based on earlier materials provided to council.

The final roll call recorded the ordinance as passing by a 6–3 vote. Council discussion and comments indicated support from members who favored immediate work to address roadway conditions and concern from opponents about borrowing costs and prioritization.

Next steps: With the ordinance approved, the administration can pursue bond sale and begin contract work for the listed resurfacing projects; council members asked staff to provide details on specific streets and cost estimates for each block to track how proceeds are spent.

Fiscal note: Supporters argued the approach avoids delaying needed repairs; opponents pointed out that borrowing increases total cost due to interest and issuance fees and reduces net pavement for a given dollar amount.

Ending: The ordinance positions the city to undertake extra resurfacing this year, with council and staff to follow up on allocation and contracting details.