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Mayor urges $21M bond to buy Crescent View Middle School; council divided on top-end authorization
Summary
Mayor recommended a $21 million bond measure to let voters decide whether to secure and partially outfit the former Crescent View Middle School, while council members split over asking voters to authorize up to $17M, $21M or $30M. Staff will return next week with bracketed resolution language and tax-impact figures.
The mayor told Sandy City Council she recommends placing a $21 million general-obligation bond on the November ballot to acquire the former Crescent View Middle School property and make essential repairs and initial improvements so the building can open for community use. "My recommendation is for a $21,000,000 bond to be placed on the ballot for the residents to consider," the mayor said, describing the amount as a balance between preserving the land and covering about $4 million in startup repairs and furnishings.
Administration described the $17 million figure as the current purchase price the district has set and said the additional $4 million would fund initial safety upgrades, restroom work and basic furnishings so the facility can be used for recreation and arts programming. Bond counsel told the council the ballot question would authorize a maximum amount but would not itself issue bonds: issuance would occur later and could be done in series, limiting immediate tax impact to whatever series the council approves to issue. "The authorization does not mean that's what we will bond for; the impact begins at the level at which we bond," bond counsel Jason said.
Why it matters: the mayor and staff framed the measure as a chance to preserve open space and reuse a facility with gymnasium, cafeteria and performance spaces that could serve city recreation and programming. Council members, however, differed on the scale of the ask: several urged broad voter choice and favored authorizing up to $30 million so voters could opt for a larger civic buildout, while others said that larger figure risks confusing or alienating voters and preferred limiting the authorization to purchase-only or purchase plus modest improvements.
What’s next: staff agreed to bring back a redlined, bracketed resolution and updated property-tax impact numbers for the $17M, $21M and $30M options at next week’s meeting, and to include clearer voter information pamphlet language about potential operating and maintenance costs.
