EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — This election season you’ll see some questions on the ballot that involve hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money. KFOX14/CBS4 breaks down those questions before you make your choice.
El Pasoans will see several major bond votes this election season with hundreds of millions of dollars of your tax money on the line, we wanted to help you understand what you’ll see on your ballot and what a ‘for’ vote or an ‘against’ vote would mean in a few of these contests.
County Capital Improvement Bond
The first bond vote is in five parts and it’s called the County Capital Improvement Bond. For this bond, El Paso County is asking for $323.8 million in total to make investments in public properties, but you’ll decide which parts, if any, are approved.
- Proposition A, the first part, would approve $ 95.6 million for the county’s parks and recreational spaces. A “for” vote would approve that funding, and an “against” would take it off the table.
- Prop B would raise $26.7 million for facilities for the County’s Office of the Medical Examiner, which investigates the cause and manner of death for sudden, unexpected, or unexplained deaths within the county. A “for” vote would approve that funding, while an “against” vote would clear it from the bond.
- Prop C would spend $63.3 million for the County’s courthouse and related facilities. A “for” vote would approve the measure, while an “against” vote would end the proposal.
- Prop D would see $105.5 million spent to renovate the El Paso County Coliseum, which hosts a variety of entertainment. A “for” vote would approve the measure, and an “against” vote would defeat it.
- Prop E would approve $32.7 million for the County’s animal shelter. A “for” vote would approve the funds, and an “against” vote would end the measure.
Special Election
The second bond election, under the title Special Election, is about the multipurpose entertainment facility. The proposal would cancel the remaining debt worth $128.4 million that would have built an entertainment facility, using taxpayer funds. A “for” vote would essentially cancel the facility, and an “against” vote would leave the issue up in the air.
El Paso County Hospital District Special Election
The third bond item is worth $396 million for the University Medical Center, called the El Paso County Hospital District Special Election.
According to authorities, the proposal would go toward:
- Building a burn center.
- Adding critical care beds, new operating rooms, and cardiac catheterization rooms for heart patients
- Improvements to imaging and laboratory services.
A “for” vote would approve the funding, while an “against” vote would sink the measure.
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Election Day is Nov. 5.
CLICK HERE for a complete election guide.
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