$2.5 million bond issue on ballot in Manvel

By John Tompkins
The Facts
Published October 16, 2009

MANVEL — City Council wanted to seek a loan for a new city hall and expanded library, but voters wanted a say.

Residents will get a chance to decide whether the projects move forward when they head to the polls on Nov. 3 to consider a $2.5 million bond issue.

The bonds would pay for a new 8,000-square-foot city hall on property next to the current 1,600-square-foot building at 6615 FM 1128. The money also would pay to expand the current city hall to 4,000 square feet to become the city library and extend city water and sewer lines to the buildings.

If passed, the bonds would increase the city’s tax rate about 1.5 cents per $100 of appraised property value. That would be an additional $15 for a home valued at $100,000.

Early voting begins Monday.

Those who support the bond issue say the city is growing rapidly as housing developments continue to expand. Opponents say the development isn’t rapid enough to justify the bonds.

U.S. Census estimates show Manvel’s population has almost doubled to about 6,057 people in 2008, compared with 3,046 people in 2000.

That growth has led to a cramped City Hall, and council members don’t have a lot of room during meetings, Councilman Buddy Williams said. If the council has a hot issue on its agenda and a lot of residents show up to listen in, most of them won’t get in the door, he said.

“We’re living in a matchbox,” he said. “Half of the people can’t come in because of fire codes.”

Residents are suffering financially in the bad economy and it’s not a good time for the city to take on debt, resident Jimmie Joe Del Bello said. If City Hall needs to be bigger, the city can expand the current building, Del Bello said.

“I don’t think we need that project,” he said of the bond issue. “We can just add on to that thing.”

The city considered several options to build and pay for the changes, including seeking a $1 million loan or passing certificates of obligation, which don’t require voter approval. Some of the proposals included making the library an addition to an expanded city hall.

“We found it wasn’t as feasible as we thought,” Mayor Delores Martin said.

The city is looking to build a new library after a dispute with the former site’s landlord. The city recently moved the library from 7104 Masters Road into its current location at 19500 Highway 6.

As council considered passing certificates of obligation for an expansion several months ago, some residents voiced concern about the plan and asked if voters could decide whether the project was needed.

Council obliged and voted unanimously in August to place the issue on the ballot.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE