El Paso County in Texas may see significant improvements to the county’s courthouse and sub-courthouse, along with the construction of a new office of the county medical examiner and new animal shelter.
These are a few of the projects slated for funding if voters this November approve a $323.8 million general obligation bond.
Members of the El Paso County Commissioners Court have now voted unanimously to put the bond on the fall ballot. That vote came after weeks of discussions regarding which projects should receive funding and how to prioritize them.
What is being called a Quality of Life bond will be presented to voters in the form of five propositions.
Proposition A calls for $96 million to be spent on improvements to the much-used Ascarate Park at 6900 Delta Drive, as well as a number of neighborhood parks and regional trails.
Proposition B would commit around $27 million to the building of a new county medical examiner’s office; while Proposition C would see $63 million going for upgrades to the El Paso County Courthouse at 500 E. San Antonio Avenue, along with improvements to various sub-courthouses and annexes owned by the county.
The biggest ticket item comes with Proposition D, which would see $105 million going for the renovation of the more than 80-year-old County Coliseum at 4100 E. Paisano Drive.
The final Proposition E would allow for the construction of a new animal shelter at a cost of some $33 million.
The County is expected to conduct a series of public meetings designed to explain the benefits of the bond proposal this fall.
If the results of a recent survey are any guide, pro-bond forces will have their work cut out for them. That survey, conducted by television station KFOX 14, showed an overwhelming whelming 83% of respondents expressing opposition to the bond and only 17% in favor.
By Garry Boulard
