Brian Coddington

The conversation continues

Brian Coddington, Communications Director, No Phone Number Available

Friday, June 27, 2014 at 2:33 p.m.

We asked and you responded. The community conversation last night about the proposed investments in streets and Riverfront Park offered some great feedback, insight and perspective on the community's needs, desires and priorities.

More than 10,000 people joined the telephone conversation. A few thousand more participated on Facebook and Twitter. Thursday night's discussion was also broadcast live on Channel 5 and will be replayed over the next few weeks. You can also watch it above.

If you missed it, you can comment in the space below, on Facebook or email us at streetsandparks@spokanecity.org. You can also suggest streets that need improvements. Here is a list we started, but tweet us your recommendations using #TweetYourStreet on Twitter or post them below.

During our discussion, you told us you needed clarification on a few topics:

  • Citizens will be asked to vote on two ballot items in November, if the City Council approves sending them to the ballot. One is for the levy to pay for street repairs. The other will be for the bond to pay for improvements in Riverfront Park.
  • The street levy, with matching fund amounts, will provide for $20 million to $25 million annually for streets. That means we expect to invest nearly $500 million in streets over the 20-year life of the levy.
  • The Riverfront Park bond will provide a one-time investment for the park, totaling $64.3 million.
  • The street levy would require a simple majority to pass, while the park bond would require a super majority.

Ultimately, the City is considering two distinct funding proposals to invest in our community. Citizens can make independent decisions about these issues. We are talking about them together because they address two significant citizen priorities and they both are taking advantage of strategic refinancing to deliver more work at the same cost citizens pay today.

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