Lockhart council approves CO notice up to $20M, adds Lions Park; awards aquatics design contract

Lockhart City Council voted unanimously May 20 to authorize publication of a notice of intent to issue up to $20 million in combination tax-and-revenue certificates of obligation for several capital projects and to approve a professional-services contract for design of a new aquatics facility.

The council amended the CO notice to explicitly include improvements to Lions Park before approving the item. Bond counsel said adding Lions Park to the published list was prudent because the park work could represent a relatively large share of the issuance. The mayor read the amendment into the record and the motion passed 7–0.

Why it matters: The notice is an early, required step to preserve the city's ability to include debt service in the I&S portion of the fiscal-year 2026 tax rate. City staff and bond counsel said failure to start the process now would likely delay borrowing until next year and could push projects back by a year.

Key details on the CO process - The council set a maximum issuance of $20,000,000 (not an obligation to borrow the full amount). The council may elect a lower amount before final sale but may not exceed the cap set tonight. - The city's financial adviser indicated a competitive sale will be held the morning of July 15; council would consider award at…