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Midlothian resident urges council not to use $15 million certificate of obligation for new fire station
Summary
A resident told council she opposes a proposed $15 million certificate of obligation for a new firehouse and urged the city to consider using unreserved fund balance or delaying other spending to reduce the tax impact.
A Midlothian resident objected to plans to finance a new fire station with a $15 million certificate of obligation, urging the City Council to consider alternative funding sources and to delay other spending.
Lisa Healy, who identified herself as a city resident during the Citizens to Be Heard portion of the May 20 meeting, told the council she understood the city had been considering a new firehouse for about five years and questioned what steps had been taken to reduce the borrowing need. Healy said she believed voters had been told taxes would be lower and said the $15 million financing would not reduce taxes as promised in campaign materials.
"I understand we've been needing a new firehouse for 5 years, and I'm just wondering what have we done over the last 5 years to offset having to go for a $15,000,000 CO?" Healy asked. She suggested using a portion of the unreserved general fund balance and delaying items she named in the meeting record (a $120,000 reallocation on the consent agenda and a $176,000 item for police equipment mentioned in the meeting) rather than moving forward with the CO. Healy also said the city could have held bonds in prior years that might have lowered the eventual borrowing and interest costs.
City council did not take formal action on the comment during the meeting; the item she referenced (the $15 million CO for a new firehouse) was discussed in public comment and remains a policy/financing decision for future council action.
Ending: Healy’s remarks were the only citizen comment on the financing at the meeting; council members did not adopt or reject her suggestions during the session and did not schedule a decision on a CO during the same agenda slot.
