A missed chance on climate?
Now is the time to buy land, right?
City Council passed a resolution this afternoon that will lay the groundwork for a series of environmental investments, including a likely bond for voters to approve "no later than 2026."
The measure, which was brought forward by Mayor Kirk Watson, asks the city manager to craft a bond proposal as well as to assemble a comprehensive "climate investment program" to be funded through other mechanisms, such as utility fees, federal grants and the city's general fund. Notably absent from the resolution was any talk of a tax rate election to create a dedicated tax (a la Project Connect) for climate programs.
The resolution highlighted a number of potential climate-related initiatives: land acquisition "that can achieve multiple goals," water conservation, tree-planting, green infrastructure, local solar and battery storage, capital projects that reduce emissions from concrete, EV charging infrastructure etc.
2026 is the most likely date for the next bond election, which will include other kinds of investments (parks, transportation, libraries etc), but some on the dais, including Watson, suggested they would be open to a climate-related measure in November of 2025.
Although there was only one vote against the measure (Mackenzie Kelly), a number of CMs who had supported Ryan Alter's proposed 2024 bond expressed regret that the city wouldn't be taking action sooner.
