Colleyville council votes to put $20 million rec-center bond on May ballot

The Colleyville City Council on Feb. 4 voted 7-0 to place a $20 million general obligation bond proposition on the May 3, 2025 ballot that would fund an expansion of the Colleyville Recreation Center.

Assistant City Manager Mark Wood told the council the item responds to a May 2024 advisory referendum in which 74% of voters supported asking the city to pursue a recreation-center expansion. "That was approved 74% to 26%," Wood said as he summarized the referendum results and the council action to place a binding proposition on the ballot.

Why it matters: If voters approve the proposition, the bonds would pay for design, land, construction and equipment for a roughly 31,000-square-foot expansion that would add a two-story fitness area, a third gym and an elevated indoor track. Wood said the most recent construction estimate is $16,340,000 in hard costs; the city anticipates additional soft costs and contingency that together are covered by the $20 million authorization.

Financial details and voter materials: The city's financial advisor and bond counsel told the council the estimated debt-service impact would be roughly 3.1 cents on the interest-and-sinking tax rate. That estimate assumes no property-value growth (a conservative model the presenters described) and produces an illustrative household impact of about $19 per month for the average Colleyville home under the scenarios shown. Paul Braden of Norton Rose Fulbright (bond counsel) and Will Smith of Specialized Public Finance explained the timeline and how proceeds and debt service would be managed if the measure passes.

Public comment and council direction: In public comment, resident Kathy Hadley urged caution about the size of the bond and its tax impact. Mayor Bobby Lindemood stressed that the council had sought resident input before reaching this point and that placing the question on the ballot returns the decision to voters. "The voters will decide how we proceed," the mayor said during the presentation; later he reiterated that council members are legally prohibited from taking an official position on the ballot measure.

Next steps: The resolution sets early voting from April 22–29 and election day on May 3, 2025; the ballot proposition language and a voter information document will be posted at voting locations and on the city's website. The council's vote tonight authorized placing the proposition before voters; issuance of bonds would follow only if the proposition is approved in May.

Ending: The council approved the resolution to call the election by unanimous vote (7-0). Voters can find the proposition text, exhibits and polling locations on the Colleyville and Tarrant County election websites in advance of the vote.