Omaha bond issues, charter amendments pass; Good Life District leading
Voters overwhelmingly approved six City of Omaha bond issues and two city charter amendments Tuesday in unofficial results. A Good Life District ballot measure also appeared headed to approval.
The measures would give the city government the authority to issue $333 million in bonds, establish a Good Life Economic Development Program for the Avenue One development and amend two sections of the City Charter.
The bond votes were all headed for approval by huge margins. They'll authorize the city to borrow for long-term capital projects by issuing general obligation bonds. The bond issues were in six parts on the ballot.
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert thanked voters for approving the bond issues.
"These bond issues allow the city to provide a high level of service to our citizens and respond to the needs of our growing city without a levy increase," Stothert said in a prepared statement.
Public facilities bonds total $146 million. That includes $100 million to pay the city's roughly 50% portion of the cost of expanding the CHI Health Center, plus a new downtown police and fire station and a new police outdoor gun range.
Transportation bonds of $80.9 million include a local match of federal funds on such projects as improving Fort Street from 120th Street west to the Tranquility Park entrance, including a new bridge; replacing the Saddle Creek Road and Dodge Street overpass; building the Enterprise Park Roadway truck route near 11th and Locust Streets; and improving 180th Street from Harney to Arbor Streets.
Street preservation bonds totaling $72 million will continue the accelerated street repair and maintenance program that voters initially authorized with $200 million in bonds in 2020. The money pays for construction and reconstruction projects throughout the city.
Environmental bonds of $14.5 million will pay for such projects as neighborhood storm sewers and drainage, Missouri River flood control and channel stabilization. These bonds do not pay for the city's ongoing Combined Sewer Overflow program.
Public safety bonds of $10 million will buy new fire department vehicles and equipment and police vehicles.
And $10 million in parks and recreation bonds will go for purchasing land and building new facilities.
The bonds will be repaid by Omaha property taxpayers. Stothert has said the bonds will not cause a property tax rate increase. That's because the city will have paid off previously issued bonds. However, just because the tax rate doesn't increase does not mean Omahans' property taxes won't go up, because valuations generally rise.
City Charter Amendment 1 was sailing to approval with more than 90 percent of the vote in unofficial results. It gives the council additional power to remove a fellow member from office. The amendment changes Section 2.05 of the charter in three ways.
Council members could be removed if they miss four council meetings in a row unexcused, instead of the previous requirement of missing three consecutive months. The second change provides that council members can be removed if they move out of their district.
The amendment also would allow the council to remove a member for certain violations of the council's code of conduct. Those violations are "racial or sexual discrimination, severe and pervasive mistreatment of city staff, conviction of a crime of violence, or acquiring a personal financial interest in a contract or transaction under consideration by the city."
The vote was closer, 64% to 36%, on Charter Amendment 2, in unofficial results. The amendment alters Section 5.16 of the City Charter. It would increase the minimum amount of a city purchase that requires public bidding and City Council approval to $50,000. The current threshold is $20,000.
The yes vote to authorize the City of Omaha to establish a Good Life District Economic Development Program was leading by about 10%, in unofficial results.
Within such districts, up to half of the state's 5.5% sales tax can be given to the developers to help pay for certain costs. The Avenue One development planned for 192nd Street and West Dodge Road has received state approval as a Good Life District. But the state legislation leaves it up to the city to administer the collection and disbursement of the tax incentives, if voters approve.
, 402-444-1057, twitter.com/CHRISBURBACH
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