The City of Mesa is planning to ask residents to approve a general obligation bond to the tune of $285M for public safety facilities and street updates.
General obligation bonds must be approved by voters and allow cities to issue debt to fund capital projects. Mesa has an extensive history of asking voters to approve GO bonds and has largely seen success, as voters have not rejected a GO bond request throughout the last two decades.
The 2026 bond package is expected to increase secondary property taxes for the median homeowner in Mesa by $54 annually once each bond is issued.
Safety Projects
Of the $285M package, $150M will go toward public safety projects. Specifically, this includes additional funding for a public safety training facility, a steel joint training building and a renovation/expansion of the central police station. Collectively, these projects have a price tag of $90.2M.
Mesa also intends to use $5M for the purchasing of two properties for a prospective fire station. The City also plans to relocate a warehouse to accommodate its fleet.
Transportation Projects
The remaining funds will be used for transportation projects. This includes street improvements, a new bridge and pedestrian/bicyclist lanes.
A bridge along Warner Road near Power Road will eat up approximately $17M. Construction of the bridge will cost $32.8M, with remaining funding coming from Proposition 479 allocations.
An improvement plan on Mesa Drive from Main Street to Brown Road will utilize an additional $19.8M of funding from this package.
Shared-use paths will cost roughly $67M. These will be implemented throughout the city such as the Lehi area, Mesa Gateway and the downtown light walk, among other locations.
Medians along Higley Road in the eastern part of the city and on Broadway Road in the center of Mesa will cost $29M.
City Council is anticipated to call the election on June 1. (Source)
