Granite Shoals negotiates 'learning curve' on November road bond affirmation vote

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

In November Granite Shoals will be the first city in the 172-year history of the State of Texas to call an election to re-affirm a bond issue.

That is what citizens heard at the Town Hall Meeting for Road Improvement Bond Update held Saturday, July 29, in Granite Shoals.

“The city attorney (Brand Young) had to go all the way to the secretary of state to see if was allowed,” said Eric Tanner, chairman of the new Arterial Road Bond Committee. “But the city council decided to seek voter re-confirmation before issuing the $3 million in bonds approved last November.”

Tanner's committee was created just because of questions that were bound to arise when a city council hesitated before spending money essentially in hand.

The meeting on road improvements may have drawn only half the crowd that turned out for a recent urban deer update, but they were citizens with plenty of questions.

Tanner, a city council member back when the bonds were first considered had been collecting questions in advance boiled down those already known into major points.

What the city “IS” seeking: A re-vote, since the promise of 55-45 matching funds evaporated.

When the measure went to voters, an extensive, entire replacement of Valley View Lane, Prairie Creek Road and Phillips Ranch Road was proposed at a cost of $7 million. Absent grant money the scope of work will be more narrow.

What the city “IS NOT” seeking:

• Additional funds.

• Elimination of any streets in the original proposal.

• Addition of any other streets to the proposal.

• Diversion of funds to any other purpose.

The original ballot stipulated the money would be spend on the three major streets and only those streets. If voters say no, the bond option is lost and no work can be done. If it is approved, the $3 million will be applied to the three main arteries beginning at Ranch to Market Road 1431:

• 1.53 miles of Valley View Lane to Lee Way

• 1.3 miles of Prairie Creek Road to Sherwood Forest Drive

• 2.38 miles of Phillips Ranch Road to Live Oak Drive (Work on on Phillips Ranch is the most geotechnically challenging and the first stretch to Newcastle Drive will set the bar for the extent of work on the last mile and a half.)

Citizens were loaded with questions about other streets that need work, measures that could extract impact fees from the operators of heavy vehicles wearing down roads and plans for cost sharing by new developments. Peggy Smith, who serves both as assistant city manager and utilities director, and members of the Street & Water Advisory Committee (SWAG) took the time to address the issues, but most bond questions boiled to Tanner's advance list.

Two citizens were assured everything involved in the original bond issue was a matter of public record and could be examined loopholes that could allow the funds to be diverted to other uses.

Another addressed the 15-year term of the bonds versus the 10 years expected before new repair would probable begin to be needed.

“The interest rate 15-year bonds would be about 4.2 cents and for 10-year bonds it would about 6.5 cents,” said Tanner.

New questions may be directed to Tanner at 512-755-2321 or etannertx@gmail.com.