The Metro Council will have the option of placing any, all or none of the three components of Mayor Kip Holden’s $748 million bond proposal on the Nov. 19 ballot, says Scott Dyer, a spokesman for the mayor. “The council can pretty much do what they want to do, and all it will take is a simple majority vote,” Dyer says.
Bond details were released Monday, but Dyer says Holden will not comment on the proposal further until the council votes on it. The council sent Holden’s two previous bond issues to the ballot in 2008 and 2009, though several complained they would have preferred an “a la carte” option, similar to what’s being presented this year. Regardless, voters rejected both proposals.
The three components of the 2011 proposal include $350 million for public safety, $366 million for drainage improvements, and $32 million for economic development/recreation. The administration has indicated to several council members it intends to place the proposal on the council agenda for Aug. 10—the same day as the deadline to place items on the ballot. A public hearing will likely be held during the meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Walker says none of his colleagues has expressed any interest in holding a special called meeting before the Aug. 10 deadline to discuss the bond issue or vote on it. —Steve Sanoski
