Maumelle council weighs community outreach and scope for potential $22M bond package

Maumelle City Council members spent an extended portion of the Aug. 4 meeting discussing strategy for potential bond projects, emphasizing early community engagement and clear timelines for any ballot measure.

Council Member Gardner urged extensive public buy‑in, saying surveys or other outreach are necessary to avoid a sound defeat at the polls. Council Member Tierney and others said the indoor pool at the senior center has strong public interest. Staff told the council they will consult with bond counsel and underwriters to meet election deadlines; a March election was discussed as a likely target if the council wishes to proceed.

Staff described prior refunding activity tied to a 2018 bond series and said the city had received grant refunds during closeout. The meeting record included an estimated $22 million of "new money" for projects, and officials noted that, when combined with payoff and reissuance factors, the total new issuance could be higher (figures discussed in the meeting suggested roughly $26.5 million as an illustrative total depending on payoffs and prior payments).

Councilors explored packaging options (grouping related projects so each ballot measure is financially sensible) and thresholds for projects appropriate for bond financing (speakers recalled that historically projects typically exceeded roughly $1 million to make bond issuance practical). Council members recommended more robust public outreach—surveys, task forces, public meetings and outreach to neighboring cities that have run successful bond campaigns—to maximize the chance of voter approval.

No final direction was voted at this meeting; the mayor/chair said the topic will remain on agendas and staff will bring back options and timelines for council consideration.