Dyana MartinezNo matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on, the time since our last politics update has sure been… interesting. Thirty-one days into 2017, eleven days into the Trump presidency, and the world seems to keep going up in flames.
Thankfully, the 210 has got its life together. Or at least it will.
In previous politics updates, Twenty Something SA has clarified tidbits of news, some of which concerned the proposed 2017-2022 bond program. But let’s be honest, the $850 million municipal bond is too big to be explained in three sentences.
Behold: Twenty Something SA’s Guide to the 2017 Bond. Learn it. Live it. Love it.
What in the world is a bond program?
A government bond program allows the area’s political body to use property tax dollars for improvement in various areas. In our case, the 2017 bond allows the City of San Antonio to use tax dollars to help enhance 6 areas of the city: streets, bridges, and sidewalks; drainage and flood control; parks, recreation, and open space; library, museum and cultural arts; public safety facilities; and neighborhood improvements.
Each category of the bond has a certain number of projects and a certain amount of money allocated to its execution. In order to maintain its AAA credit rating, San Antonio needs to adhere to proposal as best as possible. Photo courtesy of
www.sanantonio.gov/2017Bond
That’s a lot of things to fix… what does that all mean, anyway?
We are glad you asked.
Have you ever driven down a road, dipped into a pothole, and been salty the rest of the ride? Boom – bond gives money for streets, bridges, and sidewalks.
Upset by the literal ocean that builds up in your neighborhood the one day of the year we get rain? Done – bond secures money for drainage and flood control.
Fido needs a new park to go for a walk in? Gotcha – bond plans for the creation of parks, recreation areas, and open spaces.
Want to extend your artsy vibes beyond using VSCO to edit your Instagram pictures? We’re with you – bond provides money for libraries, museums, and cultural arts.
Feelin’ like you need an extra set of eyes around the neighborhood? Yes, indeed – the bond has public safety facilities covered.
Just want a better living space for your two/four legged kiddos? No worries – the bond has money ready for neighborhood improvements.
This sounds too good to be true. How is all of this getting done?
San Antonio is ambitious, but the bond makes sure that we tell government officials these issues are what we want prioritized and exactly how much money should go to each. Each quantity of money is budgeted for each category and individual projects are executed to get all of this done.
I have trust issues and I do not at all believe this is all possible. Now what?
We feel you. In today’s political climate, false promises seem to be the norm, so of course you’re skeptical. Sure, things happen, plans fall through, etc. But you can trust San Antonio won’t leave you hanging. The city has a AAA bond credit rating, the highest available recognition, from all three major bond raters, meaning it has a history of completing quality bond projects on time and in budget.
Not even the federal government has a AAA from the trio.
Have we ever done this before?
You betcha. The 2007 and 2012 bonds were passed by voters and were completed on time and in budget, which kept the city in good standing with its credit rating. Both bonds had similar goals, but each bond becomes more important as we near 2040, when the city is expected report a 1 million citizen gain in population.
Where can I do my own research?
So you’re curious, huh? Read up on all things bond here.
When is voting day?
The 2017-2022 will go before voters on the 6th of May. Register to vote beforehand to make sure your voice is heard!
Expect to hear more about the bond as we receive information. In the meantime, remember: a strong city makes for a strong state, which makes for a strong country. Let’s work work work work work work on our beautiful San Antonio to inspire change everywhere.