The City of Buckeye is proposing two propositions containing several projects that, if approved by voters, would be funded by a nearly $300M general obligation bond.
Proposition 494 will ask voters if they want the City to spend $137M on public safety projects. Proposition 495 will ask voters for $145M for road improvements to ease traffic and improve safety.
Projects include:
- A Public Safety Headquarters, valued at approximately $97M. This headquarters would provide Buckeye with a centralized police and fire administration facility. The facility would serve as a base for Buckeye police while also offering a laboratory and holding cells. For the Fire Department, it would offer offices for battalion chiefs and serve as an emergency operations center and dispatch facility.
- Street reconstruction, valued at approximately $50M. Reconstruction and resurfacing would improve the quality of roads. Prioritized roads are Broadway Road from State Route 85 to Yuma Road and Yuma Road near Sundance Parkway.
- The elimination of “pinch points”, valued at approximately $50M. Pinch points, places where roads become narrow, pose safety hazards through bottlenecks and sudden lane changes. Some of the projects included would be widening Miller Road from Broadway Road to Warner Road as well as adding northbound lanes on Watson Road from Lower Buckeye Road to Durango Street.
- The widening of Indian School Road, valued at $48M. The widening of Indian School Road from Jackrabbit Trail to Perryville Road would alleviate congested traffic while also facilitating access to Loop 303.
- The construction of Public Safety Training Facilities, valued at $30M. These facilities would allow Buckeye safety crews to train within the city limits. The bond would fund land acquisition, infrastructure development and equipment. Facilities may include a driving track, shooting range, fire suppression center and classrooms.
Funding for the bond would be achieved through a secondary property tax, one that Buckeye does not currently have. The current primary property tax rate is $1.60, the total tax rate would not exceed $2.25 with the bond, making the secondary tax rate $0.65.
With a median limited property value of $176.8K, the annual cost impact would be $115.
Residents will be able to vote on the bond in November. (Source)