Fayetteville council outlines bond package to address housing, safety, infrastructure

The Fayetteville City Council will ask voters to approve issuing bonds to raise money to address affordable housing, public safety and infrastructure.

In a special meeting Thursday evening at City Hall, the council agreed to move forward with planning for a bond referendum that would be on the ballot in November.

The council now must decide how much money to ask for in each category.

Voters would be able to vote separately on bonds for each of the three categories.

The council’s next meeting is scheduled in May.

City Manager Doug Hewett said that whatever the council decides about a possible bond referendum would not affect the city budget he will present to the council next month.

"At this point, my recommended budget for fiscal year 2023 that will be presented to City Council in late May will not include a property tax increase or increases to the stormwater fee, solid waste fee or transit fares," Hewett said after the meeting.

If the bonds are approved by voters, an increase in the property tax rate would be needed to repay the bonds in future budgets, but not in next year's budget, he said.

The first step, according to a presentation by Jay Toland, the assistant city manager and chief financial officer, would be a preliminary filing with the state Local Government Commission on May 9.

Projects would address public safety, sidewalks, bicycle paths, and street resurfacing, Toland said in his presentation.

Proposed spending may be lowered or removed but not raised or added, he said.

Potential projects include:

• Construction of Fire Station 16 at $8.1 million.
• Land acquisition for Fire Station 2, $400,000.
• Fire Station 2 relocation, $7.5 million.
• Fire Station 9 reconstruction, $9.4 million.
• Construction of Fire Station 20, $7.5 million.
• Construction of a logistics building, $2.17 million.
• Renovations to Fire Stations 3, 6, 7 and 11, $19.2 million. 
• Land and a temporary station for Fire Station 18, $550,000.
• A call center for the Fayetteville Police Department, $31.1 million.

The infrastructure projects could include:

• $7.3 million for 14.5 miles of sidewalks.
• Street intersection improvements at $800,000.
• Bike plan, $450,000.
• Street repaving or pavement preservation, $14.7 million for 63 miles or 109 miles resurfaced or an alternative treatment method.
• Management cost of $1.75 million, assuming a four-year timetable.

Other things to consider, Toland said in his  presentation, include public safety salaries, a solid waste enterprise fund, and additional needs in public services.

Michael Futch covers Fayetteville and education for CityView TODAY. He can be reached at mfutch@cityviewnc.com. Have a news tip? Email news@CityViewTODAY.com.