Proposition B – $35 million for libraries
Proposition B asks voters to let the city borrow up to $35 million in general obligation bonds for libraries. Like Prop A, the ballot labels it a property tax increase.
Per KUT and the city’s bond engagement site, the money would go to two projects:
- About $20 million to renovate and expand the Hampton Branch at Oak Hill
- About $15 million for a new library branch in Colony Park, paired with a public health center
Colony Park, in far northeast Austin, has been waiting a long time for city investment. A library and health clinic are about as clear a public good as a city can buy.
The cost is included in the roughly $40 a year estimated for Props A and B together on a median-valued home. In tax rate terms, that’s a little under 1 cent per $100 of property value for both bonds, and about 0.1 cents per $100 for Prop B on its own. (That’s our math: the $40 estimate divided by the median home value, with Prop B’s share based on its $35 million out of the $295 million total.) See Proposition A for the sources behind that estimate and for the arguments against this year’s bonds.
Recommendation: Yes