Greensboro Politics seems surprised that bonds don’t always cover the projects used to sell them:
“Eight years ago, voters approved transportation bonds of $74 million that led to improvements along such arteries as South Elm-Eugene Street and West Friendly Avenue.
But once prices began rising dramatically about five years ago, the money was exhausted before six projects — now expected to cost $52 million — could be started. They included work on Battleground, North Church Street, and Stanley and Vandalia roads.”
These two paragraphs made me stop and say, “Huh?” Where did the bond money that was approved for these specific (see full list here) road improvements go? Would you vote for a $200 million bond knowing that the money from the last bond package of this nature didn’t accomplish what it was set out to do?
Note how Brian’s comment addresses the issue of priorities:
The problem with the roads bond is that we aren’t connecting it to putting any limits on growth. See the April 1st Council meeting on annexation. Where does Greensboro draw its boundaries? The city will eventually leapfrog the urban loop. We are having a difficult time taking care of the infrastructure we have without also taking on new areas that will stretch the ability of our city’s govt. to maintain level of services. Do we really still need to widen N. Church road? Is that really a priority? It is time the City explore the option of drawing a line in the sand as far as where it will provide services. I say we start with our current boundaries.
How about the $9.7 million downtown streetscape on Church Street between Washington and Lindsey? Does that really need to happen? I personally think it’s fine just the way it is with our beautiful Depot sitting where Church dead ends into Washington, kind of like Emerald City at the end of the yellow brick road.
Regarding bond projects still waiting to happen, Guilford County Schools assures Jamestown residents that a new middle school will be built if the $457 million school bond passes:
“Due to the high construction cost — about a 53 percent increase in construction cost — unfortunately, Ragsdale and Jamestown were not able to be funded,” explained Guilford County Schools official Anita Bachmann. “They are number one and number two on the 2008 bond.”