by Brittany Anderson
BUDA – After months of rigorous work, the Buda Bond Advisory Committee (BBAC) made final recommendations regarding the bond package at its seventh meeting on July 19.
The package next goes to the city council for approval to put on the ballot.
The projected $88.7 million package is aimed at improving Buda’s roads and parks and the committee has been meeting since February. Buda council members had tasked the committee with putting together a package that was less than $100 million. As proposed and if passed, the package is expected to cost the average homeowner $64.79/year in additional taxes. That figure is based on the average home valuation of $300,000.
The committee voted unanimously in favor of recommending a bond election for Buda, recommending the bond be split into two propositions (road bonds and parks bonds), recommending the $88.7 million package, recommending the road projects listed for Proposition A and recommending the park projects listed for Proposition B.
The committee also made adjustments to one road project within the transportation proposition. The members noted that while Green Meadow’s pavement condition index (PCI) out of 100 is in the 80s (good), Middle Creek is in the 20s and 30s (very poor). As a result, the committee voted to swap out the Green Meadow Lane Rehabilitation for the Middle Creek Drive Rehabilitation, which will cost roughly $1.4 million less.
In addition to the committee’s Tier 1 package, which includes the priority road and parks projects, its Tier 2 package lists an additional five projects in priority order. Green Meadow will be added to the Tier 2 package, replacing Middle Creek.
Committee members said they recognized that, while the Tier 1 projects were not the only projects needed in Buda, they were trying to be frugal and balance the tax rate, money and mission of the bond with this package.
Jeff Barton and Kara Buffington, co-founders of Gap Strategies, will present the finalized bond package to the city council on behalf of the committee during a special city council meeting on Aug. 3. The city hired Gap Strategies to consult on the package and act as a liaison between the committee and the community.
While the election must be called by Aug. 16, council will likely call it on Aug. 12 during a special meeting. If the council approves the proposal, it will be placed on the ballot during the election in November.
More information detailing the Bond package can be found on the Buda Bonds website.
