Staff previews narrowed bond package, special-election timeline for 2026

City staff gave the City Council an update on the 2026 general obligation bond package, including outreach results and next steps toward a potential special election.

Staff said three public hearings on the proposed bonds have been held and that results are still being tabulated. The administration will prepare recommendations to reduce a very large slate of projects down to a smaller package and present those recommendations to council later this month. A staff member said the sports facilities survey will be completed this week and that its results will be presented at the Oct. 21 council meeting.

Staff outlined a procedural timeline: present the final ordinance and any resolutions calling for a special election at the Jan. 6, 2026 council meeting, and deliver the election materials to the election board the following day to meet scheduling deadlines. The presenter said the city administration will spend the fall finalizing project lists and thanked staff who helped with the public outreach.

The presenter noted the overall list of candidate projects was large (in the transcript characterized as “over 600,000,000 worth of projects”), and said staff will recommend a substantially smaller set of projects for placement on the ballot. The transcript contains a numeric phrase that is unclear as spoken; staff will present clear totals when the formal package is posted.

The council did not vote on the bond package at the Oct. 7 meeting; staff will return with formal recommendations and ordinance language for council consideration later in the fall. The next check-in on the package is scheduled for the Oct. 21 meeting when survey results will be reported.