When a multi-million dollar bond issue is placed on a ballot there are usually constituents ready to persuade voters that spending that kind of cash is a good idea. Not so with the City of Spokane’s $19.5 million dollar proposal you’ll see on March 10th.
The City’s calling it a capital improvement measure that is vital to public safety. Storing criminal evidence, euthanizing wayward pets, providing judges nicer offices and building a better police shooting range are nice ideas. But there’s been zero ground work laid that might persuade the needed 60% majority that these four things out rank the City's other needs.
Here’s what $19.5 million buys: A new police department evidence building, a new municipal court building, a new animal shelter and a new law enforcement firing range. See the problem? A campaign centered on crime, courts, cops and euthanizing wayward cats and canines is a tough sell. This bond issue has no natural support beyond the City Council and the Mayor who historically only campaign for their own re-election.
Voters also don't really know whether these projects are even necessary because the City has no strategic capital spending plan. This means we have no idea what else might be needed or how these four multi-million dollar items rank in priority. It's almost as if they've been picked out of thin air. City Councilman Mike Allen has been pleading with his colleagues for more than a year to create a strategic capital improvement plan before putting anything else on the ballot. Allen believes, correctly, that deciding what projects the City needs and then prioritizing them will at least give voters a reason to consider saying yes---especially in the current economic client. But his pleas have been ignored.
Bond issues are tough to begin with let alone when they're thrown to voters with no campaign plan, no fund raising strategy and no messages that resonate with voters. And did I mention that School District 81 is running a $28 million bond issue that same day?
It’s a good thing I’ve never written fiction because I’m not clever enough to make up this stuff.
January 13, 2009
No Planning for Spokane City Bond Issue
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3 comments:
Tobby,
One small correction on the bond amount for Spokane Public Schools (I think a number just got deleted): it's $288 million. With voter approval, we'll also receive approximately $40M more from state matching funds.
It's important for voters to understand that both measures are continuations of existing support, with rates at or below their current levels.
This bond is the second phase of a 25-year long-term capital plan for our schools. Every single neighborhood school will benefit, either with ongoing maintenance to extend the life and usability of the school, or with major remodeling or reconstruction.
We are asking the citizens to continue their long tradition of support for our schools with a YES vote on both the construction bond and the operating levy, which funds essential learning programs.
More information is available from the district at http://www.spokaneschools.org/Bond2009.
We welcome help and support. We have a Facebook group, Yes for Kids (http://twurl.cc/crq), and a Twitter account, @YesforKids. Our web site is www.yesforspokaneschools.org.
Barb Chamberlain
Co-Chair, Citizens for Spokane Schools
www.yesforspokaneschools.org
Tobby,
One small correction (I think a number just got deleted): the school district bond amount is $288 million. Additional state matching funds will bring the total investment in school construction to over $300 million.
It's important to note that the district has a long-range, 25-year capital improvement plan. The bond being voted on March 10 is a renewal of the existing bond, at the same rate. It funds the second phase of the long-range plan, and provides capital improvements of some kind for every school in the district.
The operations levy on the same ballot is also renewal of an existing levy, at a LOWER rate than what we pay now.
We have an active campaign committee of parents and citizens working for passage of the bond and levy because these dollars are absolutely critical to safe learning environments and the excellent programs we're accustomed to.
An additional benefit is that these funds will pump dollars into our local economy at a time when they are most needed: our local economic stimulus package. These dollars mean jobs for local contractors and workers, teachers, school support staff, and many local suppliers.
For more information:
District info site: http://www.spokaneschools.org/Bond2009/
Campaign web site: www.yesforspokaneschools.org
Yes for Kids Facebook group: http://twurl.cc/crq
Yes for Kids Twitter account: @YesforKids
@BarbChamberlain
Co-chair, Citizens for Spokane Schools
Hi Toby,
The Public Safety Bond that the City will ask the voters for a YES on March 10th, is important not just for the City but for the community. The Evidence Facility which will take the major portion of the bond was built in the 1940s and was not built for Evidence maintainence. It is owned by the County. There is no fire suppression system, no alarms on the freezers and fridges and no air filter system etc. There are holes in the roof and with the recent snow storm the poles supporting the roof are splitting and have stress fractures. This facility contains evidence from cold case files, Kevin Coe, Yates, drug/meth cases, child abuse cases, rape kits and DNA, personal recovered property of the citizens of spokane etc. It is used by District 81, Fire Dept (arson cases), Spokane Valley and the City and County to log and maintain evidence. I understand that once built there will be an agreement with these agencies to maintain the building. This affects each citizen whether you have childeren or not, pets or not (the fact that spokanimal will become a non kill shelter is a bonus). Evidence is crucial to the Criminal Justice system, or as I prefer the Victim Justice System. The 35 year old DNA of Kevin Coe that was given in evidence helped to keep him from being released back into the community. It came from this facility. DNA has also been used to prove someone's innocence.If the building collapses, a freezer breaks down and destroys or contaminates critical evidence because people were not accurately informed as to the facts and urgent need for the City to build one specifically for maintining evidence it could have tremendous impact on the cases stored there. I am not involved in the politics, I just know first hand the genuine need for this bill as if effects all of us. I use to work in this facility. For 18 million the citizens will be able to address more than one issue that does effect them, and it is for the cost of a pizza or 2 latte's a year. I am more that happy to arrange a tour of this facility to show the need. This is the first time as I understand, that the City has placed a Public Safety Bond out to the voters. This bond will also generate jobs in the building trade and the citizens of Spokane will see transparently where the money is going as they watch the buildings going up. It is speficially for that, no frills no benefits or wages. I urge people to vote YES! The longer we delay the more it will cost us in the long run.
Lisa Rosier
Chair - Citizens for Public Safety
(Proposition One)
2009publicsafetybond@comcast.net
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