Aurora council adopts ordinance authorizing up to $95M in bonds to finish public-safety, infrastructure projects

The Aurora City Council on June 10 adopted an ordinance (No. 250446) authorizing the issuance of general-obligation bonds not to exceed $95,000,000 to finance a slate of ongoing capital projects, the council announced following a roll-call vote that passed 10–2.

Chris Minnick, the city’s chief financial officer, told the council the Series C bonds would fund fire station construction, a new fire headquarters, an emergency management and operations facility, River Edge Park expansion, roadway improvements near Farnsworth and Belter, and final disbursements for a public works facility. Minnick said the bonds would be secured by the city’s full faith and credit and repaid from property-tax levy proceeds, and estimated the direct tax impact “would be about $9.25 monthly for a $300,000 house.”

Minnick said the ordinance authorizes up to $95 million but the city expects to sell about $90 million; the council retains the annual option to abate the levy if available resources permit. He also told aldermen the timeline calls for a sale in June and a closing in mid‑July.

Alderman Smith, who said she spent several hours reviewing the financing and conferring with colleagues, described an undercount in the recent census that reduced the city’s annual general-fund revenue by roughly $3.6 million to $3.7 million and told colleagues she had decided to support the measure despite earlier reservations. “If there is any way, there is nobody up here that wants a property tax increase,” Smith said, adding that the council will revisit levy decisions each December.

Other aldermen raised competing concerns. Alderman Bogue said he would vote against the ordinance, saying he wanted more time to pursue grants and to look for other savings before adding long-term debt: “I will be voting no,” he said, and vowed to work on alternatives that might be smaller or targeted. Supporters countered that most projects are already under way, that stopping construction would likely be more expensive, and that delays could expose the city to contract damages or litigation.

Officials emphasized that some contracts are already signed and that suspending projects could trigger vendor claims. Minnick and legal counsel warned that pausing the work would not eliminate costs and could raise overall expenses because of supply-chain and contract obligations.

The council’s discussion also covered the use of contingency funds: aldermen noted a $5 million contingency was included in the ordinance cap (raising the authorization from $90 million to $95 million) to cover risks such as late design changes and inflation. Minnick said the city would not necessarily draw the full $95 million and that the precise issuance amount will be set based on market conditions and needs.

Following discussion and a roll-call vote recorded as 10 yes, 2 no, the mayor declared the motion carries and the ordinance adopted. The bond sale is expected to close in mid-July, and the council will set any related tax levies during its December levy/abatement process.

What happens next: the city will proceed with bond sale preparations, continue monitoring market conditions, and make an annual levy/abatement decision in December based on available resources and other financial priorities.