Council approves $137 million bond proposal for November ballot

TROY — The Troy City Council has approved putting a capital bond proposal on the ballot this fall, which will fund improvements for a slate of city amenities if approved by voters Nov. 4.

The council approved the ballot language 6-1, with Mayor Pro Tem Mark Gunn voting against the proposal.

The proposal is for $137 million over 20 years, including $75 million for a library project, $35 million for streets, $17 million for parks and recreation, and $10 million for public safety.

The estimated millage that would be levied the first year is 1.1327 mills. The city collects $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value, multiplied by the millage rate.

As an example, a home with a taxable value of $175,000 would see its taxes increase by $198 per year, or $16.52 per month.

Officials have been considering various projects since the start of the year, discussing the city’s financial options and debating areas to prioritize.

“We discussed all the different capital needs of the city … and council consensus was they’re interested in moving forward with a capital bond proposal for the various needs in the city of Troy,” said Frank Nastasi, the city manager.

One project is a new library building, spanning three stories and about 90,000 square feet. The current building is 50,000 square feet.

The firm Rethinking Libraries was hired in 2023 to analyze the library and consider improvements there. The firm studied around 2,700 survey responses from library staff and community members regarding the state of the library.

The group strongly suggested that a new library was needed to accommodate patrons who want more space and recreational programs.

In January, HBM Architects was awarded the contract to draft a design and estimate costs for a new building, which they presented to the council in June. The total project cost was estimated at roughly $75.8 million.

Other areas that would be covered by the bond proposal include road improvements on streets such as Wattles Road and Coolidge Road; improving parks and recreational facilities; enhancing amenities like the Troy Community Center and the Troy Farm; and the addition of more parks, trails, athletic courts and other amenities.

Upgrades to public safety services are also included, including fire apparatus equipment, police body cameras, and other tools and technology.

City Councilmember Theresa Brooks said the city doesn’t have adequate funds to cover the needs of its aging infrastructure.

“The cost of everything has gone up, and I think everybody can understand that … but our tax base or our tax rate essentially has stayed relatively stagnant, and so we’re trying to do more with the same amount of money, and at some point, you just don’t have enough,” Brooks said. “So, we’re just at a point that we have to do this in order to continue to provide resources and the things that residents would like.”

City Councilmember David Hamilton said Troy has one of the lowest tax rates in the area.

“We spend less per resident than most equivalent, similar, comparable communities to us,” Hamilton said. “We need this bond or we’re not going to be able to deliver. No city could deliver the quality of service that residents here want at the current revenue level.”

Mayor Ethan Baker said the time is right for the proposal.

“The reality is … this city built up very fast in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and into the ‘90s a little bit, and what that means is all those buildings are going to fall apart at the same time,” Baker said. “And I think our city staff has done an amazing job of evaluating all of our public facilities over the year and prioritizing — sometimes in a pinch — on where our money needs to be spent to keep things going along.”

Gunn was the sole “no” vote on the proposal. He said he wanted each of the projects covered in the proposal to stand on its own, with more feedback from the community.

“Since we’ve started this discussion on the bond … I’ve had a different take on how to approach this bond,” Gunn said. “I support investment in Troy. I mean, this has been my home for 40 years. I support the improvements for library, for roadways, police department, Department of Public Works, and I know these are critical assets that impact the quality of our residents’ life … today and for generations to come. But I also believe strongly in a citizen’s choice.”

Gunn said the bond should be split into smaller issues.

“The current proposal combines $75 million for the library and $62 million — you know, for the roads, for the police, for DPW improvements,” Gunn noted. “And I support efforts to improve our community, but I believe it’d be more respectful to our residents — and more consistent with democratic values — to present these two issues as a separate bond.”

For more information, visit troymi.gov.