Omaha voters agreed Tuesday to provide a $79.3 million boost to the city’s infrastructure by approving five bond issues for streets, parks and other improvements.
Mayor Jim Suttle said the election results show that Omahans are willing to provide a stable funding source for the city’s capital improvements.
The bonds, which are repaid through property taxes, spread the cost of wider streets, new firetrucks and park building renovations over 20 years.
“When voters see specifics and can relate it to their lives, they will respond,” Suttle said.
City officials said the bonds will not cause property taxes to rise or add to Omaha’s current $1 billion debt, because the new borrowing simply replaces older bond issues which are being paid off.
More than half of the new bonds will go for street and highway work, which includes large projects such as widening 156th Street north and south of West Dodge Road as well as smaller projects such as curb replacement.
The four other bond issues are for parks and recreation, public safety, sewers and public facilities.
Tuesday’s results track with Omaha’s long history of approving bond issues.
Counting the new bonds, only one of 37 bond proposals in the past 30 years was rejected by voters, according to records provided by City Clerk Buster Brown. Most won approval by a 2-to-1 ratio.
Omaha voters also approved a City Charter amendment that designates a City Finance Department official as Omaha’s city treasurer. Until now, the charter has named the Douglas County treasurer to that position.
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