The Metro Council voted 8-2 this evening to kill all three components of Mayor Kip Holden’s $748 million bond package focusing on public safety, infrastructure improvements and renovations to the River Center. Councilwomen Denise Marcelle and Tara Wicker were the only members to vote to send the proposal to the voters this fall.
Holden and members of his staff spent 45 minutes trying to convince the council to send the package to voters. Instead of the 15-page overview council members were presented with in early July, Holden’s staff had extensive PowerPoint presentations to show the council. The majority of the members were still not swayed. Perhaps the most interesting moment in the two hour long presentation, public comment and council comments came when Councilman Ulysses “Bones” Addison asked about the total cost of the bond issue with interest. The administration’s bond council initially replied they did not have that figure, but after some discussion said it would top $1.1 billion. Addison says the fact that the total cost was not known by the council until the day of the vote signifies the extent to which the council has been left in the dark about specifics.
Holden brought the bond issue back to the council this evening as a last ditch effort following the council’s 9-3 vote on July 27 not to introduce the plan for a subsequent committee meeting, public hearing and final council vote. It is the third time Holden has presented a bond issue that ultimately failed. The previous two in 2008 and 2009 were rejected by voters. —Steve Sanoski
