Politics & Government

Get Online for Bond Info Town Hall Tuesday Night

The city of Roswell will hold a "virtual" town hall meeting online tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., about the bond referendum on the general election ballot.

Early voting has already begun and the city is hoping to provide some further clarity regarding its .

The Roswell City Council voted on Aug. 13 to put a question to local voters on whether or not the city should issue a general obligation bond in the amount of $14.7 million to replace the current expiring bond. The city has maintained the bond would not involve a tax increase and is a simple yes or no vote. What is not so simple is the wording of the bond that may seem to be in legalese and that is because lawyers prepare the final wording that then must be approved by the Justice Department, Councilwoman Betty Price wrote in a recent press release.

Residents may recall the T-SPLOST vote, a one cent sales tax for transportation improvements in our larger region, did not pass last summer for a variety of reasons. After the voters rejected the tax increase, city council determined that transportation projects would comprise the lion’s share of the items included in a potential bond issuance in order to respond to our city’s greatest needs, according to Price.

Find out what's happening in Roswellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A variety of city improvements were considered for inclusion in this bond and a number of public meetings were held to see for what project residents were willing to extend the current debt level.

The total amount of the proposed bond was scaled down from the original requested amount and the final breakdown of the much reduced total amount is $8.7 million for transportation - which includes $6 million for the Holcomb Bridge Road and 400 intersection - Eves Road and Holcomb Bridge Road lanes, paths, and trail and other infrastructure improvements; $4.5 million for an adult therapeutic swimming pool and four artificial turf fields; and $1.5 million for the replacement of the delapidated fire station number four in its same East Roswell zone.        

Find out what's happening in Roswellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

By necessity, the wording of the bond referendum on the ballot is less precise than this detailed breakdown, but this is actually what the council voted to propose to the citizens of Roswell and what we intend to do should the bond referendum pass, said Price.

Each project will undergo another round of oversight and approval from the council.

For information on the Bond Referendum, visit the city's website. To register for the Virtual Town Hall Meeting to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., sign in online.


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