“SHALL the City Council of the City of Amarillo, Texas, be authorized to issue general obligation bonds of the City in the principal amount of $65,550,000 for permanent public improvements and public purposes, to wit:  acquiring, constructing, improving, expanding, renovating and equipping municipal athletic facilities, including soccer, softball and baseball fields, gymnasium, basketball and aquatics facilities and the acquisition of land therefor; such bonds to mature serially or otherwise over a period not to exceed twenty-five (25) years from their date, to be issued and sold in one or more series at any price or prices and to bear interest at any rate or rates (fixed, floating, variable or otherwise) as shall be determined within the discretion of the City Council at the time of issuance or sale of the bonds; and whether ad valorem taxes shall be levied upon all taxable property in the City sufficient to pay the annual interest and provide a sinking fund to pay the bonds at maturity?”

Proposition 7 on the Amarillo municipal ballot

This might be the most difficult of the seven propositions heading for the Amarillo municipal ballot.

It’s worth supporting, as I intend to do.

http://amarillo.gov/pdf/CIP_list_for_ballot_resolution.pdf

But it might be a difficult project for residents to swallow.

It reminds me a bit of the Amarillo Recreation Center initiative that voters defeated a couple of years back. City Hall wanted to build a huge new athletic complex in the southeast corner of the city. The idea would be to attract organized athletic tournaments to the city. It was seen by proponents as an economic driver for the city.

Voters felt differently. The ARC went down to defeat.

So, the city is coming back with a $65 million spending project that seeks to do many things to athletic complexes throughout Amarillo.

The biggest line item is $14 million for the Rick Klein Soccer Complex; the city also wants to spend $12 million for a youth baseball/softball complex. There will be improvements to the Martin Road softball complex, to John Stiff Park and expansion of the tennis center.

I’m not sure how the city is going to present this as an essential element for voters who also will be asked to endorse six other propositions on the ballot that deal with non-frills such as, say, police and fire protection, streets and parks. They also will be asked to sign off on a significant expansion to the Civic Center.

I intend to endorse the athletic field proposition. It’s not that my wife and I have children or grandchildren who are involved in organized sports activity. These improvements are part of a larger mosaic that reveals a city that wants to enhance its entire infrastructure.

As I’ve noted already, the city has done a good of presenting this entire package of improvements, the sum of which totals about $340 million. Yes, it’s a lot of money and voters have the chance to endorse all, part of none of it.

Despite my concerns about the politics of this issue, I hope voters endorse Proposition 7.