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The Doña Ana Board of County Commissioners voted 5-1 to table a vote on approving the bond questions that will go in front of voters in November.
Commissioners delayed the vote after some said they were not comfortable posing the questions to voters because, they said, there was of a lack of transparency on what the funds will be used for.
Some of the items on the wish list for the county to build with the bond money includes roads, community centers, upgrades to parks and entertainment venues like an amphitheater at the fairgrounds.
Susana Chaparro, a county commissioner, said she voted to delay a final decision because during her community meetings she felt there was a disconnect between what the questions were asking and what residents wanted to see.
“The biggest thing I heard was housing,” Chaparro said. “Then, of course, infrastructure, roads, lighting, public safety was also there on the top of the list.”
Chaparro also spoke on the want and need for ESL classes and higher quality community centers. However, one thing was left off the list of wants from the community.
“I have not gotten a single person in any of my meetings that is for the amphitheater,” Chaparro said.
One of the bond questions that was tabled and schedule to be rewritten asked voters if the county should use $60 million in bonds to pay for “County service centers, entertainment facilities, and infrastructure including roads.”
Chaparro said that this question is not only vague but lumps too many projects together.
“In that particular question, roads was last and well, who wouldn’t want roads, but you are lumping everything else in and my point was if we truly want to get a reading on what the community wants, then we have to be transparent and use the language ‘Do you want an amphitheater,’” Chaparro said.
Many other county commissioners agreed with this and voted to rework the questions. Commissioner Manuel Sanchez was the sole vote against tabling. He voiced concern over how too specific bond questions could lead to a lack of flexibility in case projects go over budget or construction costs rise.
The next vote on the bond questions will be on August 26th.
