Atlanta voters have approved Mayor Kasim Reed’s plan to borrow $250 million to provide long-overdue fixes to aging roads, bridges, sidewalks and buildings.
Only a fraction of the city’s voters turned out on Tuesday, but they sent a big message: yes to two separate bonds that will chip away at the city’s billion-dollar infrastructure backlog. With all the votes counted, the bond initiative passed by a nearly 9-to-1 margin.
The first bond, worth $188 million, will be spent on transportation projects, such as bike lanes and street improvements. The second bond, about $64 million, will fund municipal buildings and recreation centers.
Reed, who has refused to raise property taxes during his time in office, has overseen efforts in the past year to identify ways the city can slash and save in order to make the annual payments on the borrowing, estimated to be between $16 million and $20 million.
The mayor has set an ambitious five-year deadline for completing more than 200 proposed projects across the city. Reed said the Atlanta City Council is expected to vote on a final project list in April.
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