Chandler city and fire officials gather for a February 2024 ribbon cutting for an expanded and rebuilt Alma School Road fire station. Constructing another fire station is among the many costs city leaders hope to cover with bonds, as Chandler residents will vote Nov. 4 on four bond questions totaling $475 million.
It’s official: Chandler voters will get to vote on a property tax extension this November.
The Chandler City Council, by unanimously approving the consent agenda at its April 24 meeting, decided to put four questions to city voters Nov. 4.
If all four questions each get a “yes” response, it would give city leaders $475 million in bond authority.
The last two bond votes were approved in their entirety by Chandler voters. Residents approved a $451 million bond package in 2007 and $272 million bond package in 2021.
City staff — especially finance department leaders — started sounding an alarm in late 2023 about how inflation and other factors were causing the city to burn through its 2021 bond funds faster than anticipated.
That led to the formation of a 31-person Resident Bond Exploratory Committee, chaired by former Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny. He and others presented final recommendations at a February council meeting.
Dozens of initial asks were excluded, though the final four questions would be more total bond dollars than have ever been involved in a Chandler election.
Three of the four bond questions prominently feature the word “enhance,” with few specific capital projects mentioned by name.
The four questions will ask voters to approve bonds to:
-Enhance Chandler’s parks and recreational amenities to improve the quality of life in the community, $158 million.
-Enhance Chandler Fire Department services and response through improved facilities and equipment, $88 million.
-Enhance Chandler Police Department services and response through improved facilities and equipment, $46 million.
-Keep Chandler Streets safe, improve traffic flows and reduce commuter times for Chandler residents, $183 million.
Here are the projects or project areas listed for each question:
Parks and recreation
Renovate and improve existing neighborhood and community parks, recreational facilities and buildings; Design and construct new city parks and recreational facilities, buildings and improvements; construct or improve multi-use fields, playgrounds and other facilities at city parks, which may include Snedigar Sports Complex, Desert Breeze Park, Mesquite Groves Park, and Dr. A.J. Chandler park; renovate and improve existing pools and aquatic centers, which may include Folley Pool.
Fire Department
Construct a new city fire station and related public safety facilities, repair and renovate existing city fire stations and related public safety facilities; acquire emergency vehicles, which may include fire engines and ladder trucks.
Police Department
Renovate and improve the city’s main police station to reduce overcrowding by expanding, modernizing, and consolidating key service areas, including criminal investigations unit, patrol, technology, and dispatch, including the acquisition of land or interests therein necessary for such purposes; acquire technology and radio communication equipment to enhance police responsiveness; acquire emergency vehicles, which may include command and control vehicles and tactical vehicles.
Streets
Repave and repair existing streets and intersections in the city; improve and repair traffic signals and signal control systems, improve city streets, which may include improvements to McQueen and Kyrene Roads; improve city intersections, which may include the Arizona Avene/Warner Road and Kyrene Road/Chandler Boulevard intersections, design and construct shared use paths.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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