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Public hearing held on proposed $155 million bond for public safety projects; opponent warns against 'COP City' funding
Summary
During the public hearing on a potential $155 million general-obligation bond for public facilities including a public-safety center, an opponent told council he feared the package prioritized a new "COP City" over homeless shelters and affordable housing and urged council not to put the measure on the November ballot.
Council opened a public hearing on an ordinance to authorize general‑obligation bonds not to exceed $155,000,000 to fund public facilities, including a proposed public‑safety center. The ordinance would place the bond question before voters on Nov. 3, 2026 if the council moves forward.
Anthony Carrifah Rivers Wright spoke in opposition, questioning how the city would spend $155 million and urging the council not to place the bond on the ballot. He said the ordinance lists multiple facility types but asserted the majority would fund a new public‑safety center in the 72nd & Dodge area and warned the council that voters will hold officials accountable. "Like in the words of Gandalf from, Lord of the Rings, this shall not pass," he said, urging reallocation toward affordable housing and shelters.
The hearing closed with no further public testimony recorded on the transcript. City staff did not present a detailed line‑item breakdown during the public hearing; councilmembers asked for clarity and context about bond uses during and after the hearing. No council vote on placing the measure on the ballot was recorded at this meeting.
