OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The CHI Center Arena and Convention Center is pretty big, right? But if you ask some in Omaha it could be bigger and even better. In just 3 weeks you’ll be able to vote on funding that could make it happen. There are 6 bond issues on the ballot for your vote this November. Downtown Omaha neighborhood reporter Molly Hudson sat down with Heath Mello, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber to better understand the impact voting ‘yes’ could have on our neighborhoods.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
$333 million worth of city bonds are up for your vote.
The bonds would pay for parks and recreation, sewer, transportation, Omaha streets, public safety and public facilities like the expansion of the CHI Center Arena and Convention Center.
“If we don’t expand our convention center, we have the potential to lose up to $15 million in existing convention business right now in Omaha,” Mello said.
Also in our downtown neighborhood, Mello says the public safety grant will help pay for a new police and fire station there.
“As well as provide more funding for police and fire equipment for our city and that’s valuable, not just to the Chamber of Commerce, but to residents across the whole city,” Mello said.
“One of the city bond issues helps leverage $80 million of federal funds for our streets and some of our road repairs that are associated with one of the bond issues,” Mello said.
Mello says passing these 6 bonds is essential to move the city forward.
“We know to grow our city and to grow our economy we need to have strong infrastructure, we need to have a vibrant community that values public safety, as well as continue to grow our economy through expanding tourism,” Mello said.
The boiled-down pitch to voters: this won’t cost you more money.
“The funding is incorporated in the city’s budget process already, there is no new taxes associated with this, so there is no tax increase for property taxpayers across Omaha when they get to vote on these,” Mello said.
Voters get an opportunity to say yes or no on bonds like these every 4 years. In about 20 days, these issues will be up to you.
To learn more about the bond issues on the ballot this year – visit buildingomahasfuture.org.