By: Sharon Aron Baron
Coral Springs voters have an opportunity to make much-needed improvements to the city, that is, if they vote yes on three general obligation bonds totaling $77 million in the March 13 election.
Divided on the ballot as three separate questions: Bond for Public Safety, Bond for Parks and Recreation, and Bond for Streets and Drainage. Voters can then choose to vote for or against each one.
Improvements would include: Public Safety and Public Works Campus improvements including an expansion of the Fire Academy, renovation of the garage and storage facility that houses the city’s operating supplies, and construction of a real-life tactical facility for police personnel. Mullins Park, North Community Park, Cypress Park and Sportsplex will also see improvements with the addition of artificial turf and new LED lighting.
Funding to implement the city’s Pavement Management Plan, including more than 85 lane miles that have not been resurfaced in the last 20 years, will be made available if voters vote yes. Areas such as the Corporate Park, where many businesses are located, as well as residential neighborhoods like Westchester, and the Meadows and Dells will see various improvements to the existing drainage system, mitigating flooding severity and duration.
In addition, there will be enhancements to public amenities such as a new senior center and upgrades to the aquatic center.
In October, residents were hit with the largest tax increase in years after the millage rate went from 4.8 percent to 5.87 percent. A family residing in a $250,000 home, saw their taxes increase $250 annually. According to the city, the bond will provide improvements to infrastructure, public facilities and amenities which require funding beyond that of the normal operating budget and the recent tax increase.
Based on a $250,000 home, the average breakdown in annual costs for the three bond issues would be: Public Safety $43, Parks and Recreation $41, and Streets and Drainage $39. Therefore, If the bond measures passes, beginning October 1, 2018, the average single-family home will see an increase of $123.00 to their annual property taxes.
“I would vote yes,” said resident Andrew Ladanowski. “The economy is growing and we need to invest in our city. Kids need ball fields. We need to proper facilities to train our firefighters and it would be nice to have an amphitheater. I always wanted to sneak over to Parkland for a concert at their amphitheater.”
Resident Michael Black agrees with most of the improvements as long as they enrich the community, however, he didn’t agree with license plate readers around the city.
“I would vote against any measure that infringes on the rights of its citizens. The purpose should be for public safety,” said Black. “I’d love to hear the rationale behind the measure before making a judgement.”
Proposed projects:
• Public Safety and Public Works Campus $18,500,000
• Fire Station 64 Reconstruction $4,000,000
• License Plate Readers-Perimeter & Interior $1,600,000
• Tactical Training Facility $1,500,000
• Two Emergency Traffic Signals $700,000
• Parks & Recreation Lighting $3,400,000
• Aquatic Complex New Pool + Enhancements $5,600,000
• Park Artificial Turf Fields $8,000,000
• Amphitheater/Splash Pad $2,000,000
• Senior Center $5,000,000
• Mullins Park-New American League Building $1,000,000
• Road Resurfacing $13,250,000
• Corporate Park Drainage $4,300,000
• Westchester Drainage $5,000,000
• Meadows and Dells Drainage Improvements $1,000,000
General obligation bonds are a common type of municipal bond issued by states and local governments to raise funds for public works. What makes general obligation bonds unique is that they are backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing municipality.
Historically, residents of Coral Springs have voted in favor of general obligation bonds – once in 2006 and more recently in 2014. The $12.45 million bond of 2014 was approved by 72 percent of residents. The projects included updates to Public Safety Communication Systems, restoring of Fire Station 43 and 95, renovation of the Crime Scene Investigation and Evidence storage unit, and the construction of a new Safety Town Building. All were completed within two years and remained within budget.
City Manager Mike Goodrum said, “Our goal is to preserve the acclaimed reputation of the City of Coral Springs. With these measures in place, we can significantly invest in our neighborhoods to improve our city.”
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Author Profile
- Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs and the rest of South Florida.
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20 comments
No, the simple fact that this town is completely inept at managing a single construction budget for the townhall, I will not pay for future failure with more of my tax dollars.
Here we go again spend and borrow. Borrow and then raise taxes again and again. the cycle continues politicians taking advantage of the ignorance of its residents. 8 million for fake grass and redoing buildings for the convince of its largest voting block city employees. Just a reminder to our inept politicians the city streets in north springs as well as other neighborhoods haven’t been resurfaced in 30 years not 20 years. just a reminder to the pregnant residents of north springs be careful when walking through the neighborhood because the streets haven’t been resurfaced in 30years water is accumulating on the side of the streets and not running off to the sewers . These puddles remain for some time creating a health hazard and a chance of contracting zika. Please remember the residents are still paying off the previous bond issues (loans ) and will be paying for the 40 million dollar city hall built for the city employees they really needed this luxury building to cope with the daily grind of their jobs. Don’t forget the very high salaries in the city managers office more money more employees equal less productivity resulting in more votes. City government 101. Oh and don’t forget the charter school situation there hoping you will forget they still want to move it after failing to steal a public park and give to a private corporation. They are still searching for place to put it at tax payers expense. Real estate taxes will increase again next year and many years after that’s what this current administration does the plan is already being discussed of how much of An increase they can get away with along with the future borrowing . Vote no on all borrowings until we get these people out and replace them with people that are for city residents and get out of the school business, cut taxes and freeze salaries and hiring until we get the city financial situation corrected. Politicians created this mess along with a city manager who ran away from his job when the financial problems surfaced.
I would have to agree with the majority of the people responding with a “no” here! I have such a bad taste of disgust over past actions on behalf of the city that although I agree with the drainage, paving and firehouse reconstruction ( partially because I am a firefighter) I cannot see myself voting for any of the proposed obligations especially as grouped! Look I can simply shoot down half of these improvements in simple explanation. 1. Public safety and public works campus! The biggest ticket has that city hall stench all over it! You know, that come back to us for more money because they screwed up the budgeting type! “wasteful spending type”2. Fire Station 64 I’d say no only because I have the mentality of tear it down and give them a new building stop putting a patch on an old facility! 3. License plate readers! “”!!get a grant!!”” again unnecessary “will be a civil intrusion” “lawsuits” not enough of a crime within the city. More deadly police chases “LETS NOT FORGET TEACHER MRS WEINNER KILLED AFTER A HIGH SPEED CHASE DOWN SAMPLE RD!!!!!! 4. Tactical training facility?????what???? does CSPD have a SWAT?? isn’t there training facilities “BSO” and others within the county? I don’t understand the need??? 5. Two emergency traffic signals ???? where and why and don’t we have those already lets see the study of traffic patterns for those areas ( at this point I’m questioning everything this city asks for! Might be needed but prove it!) 6. Parks and Rec’s lighting?? Smells like a trap! lets see the reasoning and why!. 7. Artificial Turf 3RD HIGHEST AMOUNT and will not benefit the majority of citizens! This is a specific group targeting areas and more than likely to garner reasons to move the charter school to an undesired location! 8. Amphitheater and splash pad: although I like the concept its hard to garner a “need” without knowing more details and most likely there is no need yet we are looking to cater to a select few of the city! Will this rival the center for the arts I don’t understand the logic? 9. Senior center not generally opposed but is there a need? and the details will need to be scrutinized? 10. American League building: isn’t that used as storage now?? sounds to me like they have an unused senior center to me! Just piss poor management. NOW FOR ALL PAVING AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS I’M IN.
NOW AS A SIDE NOTE ON THE FIRE ACADEMY FIRST ITEM: I’ve taken my firefighter driver operator class there and I will vouch for the training! That said as a coral springs resident leaving the military and starting a new carrier in the early to mid 2000’s. I remember how they were a more expensive fire academy that was not certified for VA funding. As a VET struggling to get into my profession. I went to BFA. I struggled working nights at coral springs hospital and doing night classes at BFA while living in this city. I’m not exactly sure of the financial benefits to the city or other areas from the fire academy when it costs more to attend there than BFA/MCfatter yet the citizens “ME” foot and have foot the bill for the facility?? if anyone could explain that to me I’d love to understand!
He may have changed his look but he can’t hide his stupidity. Don’t be fooled again.
Sticker shock just learned the total cost for the renting of the office space at the walk. You see there was no other space available in all of coral springs to house the city offices while the 40million dollar building was being built. So of course they turned to an old friend who just happened to have some really expensive space that he could rent to the city. Just ask what the total cost was including rent moving utilities added furniture and cubicles ect. A great deal except that the tax payer had to pay for it. No problem for the commissioners all they have to do is con the residents then borrow more money and of course raise taxes.
gonna vote NO on this one….. license plate readers ?!? 2 emergency signals that cost 700k ? and the big one 8 million dollars for fake turf ! hahaha this is what happens when democrats get into office…
And the new $40,000,000 city hall was the work of Tom P, Larry V and Vince B … Republicans that love to spend our money
the democrat mayor ran on the platform to cut these costs and they rose…
There lies the problem…… Liberals, they are always good at spending other peoples money…… I vote a big fat “NO” !
Code enforcement in coral springs needs more accountability paid workers just pass by obvious infractions.one prime example a very very obvious one is the disgusting site at the canal on 99th terrace between 47street and 48th drive in north springs The fences on both sides of the street are severely broken and just hanging. The trees on both sides of the street are unrooted and are horizontal across the grass areas dead tree trunks are falling into the canal on the west side of the road all very obvious from the road but not to our city employees they continue getting paid along with salary increases while not doing their job and worse no supervision from our highly paid city manager’s staff. All of damage was caused from the last hurricane. I guess we need a couple hundred more city employees all we have to do is borrow more money and raise taxes again .low productivity and no accountability the country club atmosphere at city hall lives on.
Failed to mention called code enforcement their response was they don’t know who is responsible for this property can you believe that? One code officer told me that it is a empty lot and we shouldn’t expect it to be maintained the entrance to north springs and north springs
court is an empty lot? I ended the conversation it was obvious that we had a cultural deference and I just said maybe in some 3rd world country but not here in coral springs he seemed offended and left not doing the job that tax payers are paying him for.
Wouldn’t it be a service to the residents if the coral springs talk took pictures of the area I am speaking about and showed them on there site may be it will show the residents what a poor job city workers are doing. Help!
Ok so did a little research…there have been numerous grants, federal, state and local who have contributed money to fixing the drainage problems in the Meadows and Dells. In 2007 there was a 6 year plan totalling over 3 million being spent. In 2010 we received 130,000 from the SFWD for it, 2016 we received two grants to improve it. That was what I got from 15 minutes of research, imagine what the total really is. Now they are requesting another million for it…that’s just crazy folks. The 2007 operating budget called for a 10 year plan resurfacing 10 miles per year…what happened to that budgeted money. Enough is enough…someone is getting very rich off of all of us idiots who are not questioning anything.
You could be on to something millions gone city manager suddenly runs from his job and unrelated the city developer quits. Lots of money shifted from the projects they were intended to other places no resurfacing of the streets that tax payers paid for however we did get a 40 million dollar building and city employees got a large raise at a rate of two times the inflation rate, lots of questions should be answered including the amount of resources that go to the privately owned profitable charter school. Inept, mismanaged city out of control borrowing and large tax increases and yet not enough.
We own the Center for the arts..it has lots of rooms not in use during the day…move some of the senior events over there. There does not have to be a dedicated building for senior use. Come on guys stop asking for money for things that are luxuries. You want these things, budget better. Get rid of our 911 system make a deal with Broward to find those employees job over there. Stop the double taxing. Or is it the fact that then Broward County would then have the real numbers on time arrived for calls or calls that were swept under the rug because it was a friend or” important” person.
The commission is counting on the senior citizens to vote for it that’s why the new building. They are counting on the thousands of city employees to vote for it that’s why the new buildings and salary increases. Lastly the ignorant. The above should be enough to get the bond issue(loan to be paid with future tax increases) passed.
You are correct about the staff these two highly paid and over paid deputy managers have to go they have been part of this circus for many years. Now along with six figure salaries plus other perks they will have their decorated private offices in the 40 million dollar building they pushed for. They have been behind building this city hall for a lone long time constantly complaining about the old city hall and its short comings . Get them out and replace them with a assistant manager who will work with the new manager and not stabbing him in the back at every chance, they are to close to some of the commissioners and constantly conspire to get their way.
The stabbing in the back by the staff is a rumor circulating around city hall and not a fact that I can attest to , so maybe its not true and should be removed from my statement . Just could be disgruntled employees at the water cooler.
City’s much needed improvements include 8 million dollars for fake grass just one of the much needed improvements that is a total waste of tax payer money and by experience you know the 8 million will quickly increase to 10 million before it hits the ground. Check out the other much needed projects reads like a Childs birthday wish.
It already went up tremendously and they want it again… The answer is NO…. They’ve got to be kidding.. I might as well move back to New York !