Richardson voters back charter overhaul, $223.4 million bond package

Richardson residents backed a sweeping $223.4 million bond package and all 50 city charter amendments in the May 2 election, giving the city a mandate to start major infrastructure work without an anticipated increase in the property tax rate.

The biggest share of the bond money, $132.2 million, goes to streets. That means reconstruction of major collector, neighborhood collector, commercial and residential roads, along with alley replacement, traffic signal rebuilds, new signals at two locations, school-zone flasher replacement, speed-feedback signs, ADA-related intersection upgrades and active transportation improvements. In practical terms, the first visible changes for many neighborhoods are likely to be roadway and traffic-safety projects that touch daily commutes, school routes and older residential streets.

Public safety facilities are next in line. Proposition B set aside $36 million for public buildings, including a new fire vehicle storage building, renovations to Fire Station 6 and the design and construction of Fire Station 7. Those projects are aimed at strengthening fire response and giving the department room to operate as the city grows.

Parks, sidewalks and drainage also won significant support. Proposition C authorized $22.2 million for parks and recreation, including spray grounds, pool renovations and a pedestrian bridge and trail link at Breckinridge Park. Proposition D set aside $16.5 million for sidewalk safety and access, while Proposition E dedicated $16.5 million to drainage work, including erosion control and Lois Branch channel improvements. For homeowners, the city said the package was structured with no anticipated increase to the property tax rate.

Voters also approved a broad rewrite of Richardson’s governing charter, a document the city reviews every 10 years. The city council called the charter and bond elections on Feb. 9 after months of public briefings, community feedback and two public hearings, and officials said putting both measures on the same ballot was expected to save about $175,000.

Among the most consequential changes was Proposition XX, the resign-to-run amendment. It requires a mayor or council member to resign if they announce a candidacy for another public office. Dan Barrios, who is running for Congress in Texas’ 32nd Congressional District, is the only council member directly affected right now. He will remain on the council for now, and his future there will turn on the Nov. 3 general election, when he faces Republican Jace Yarbrough.

Other changes will alter city hall in more routine but still meaningful ways. Proposition D raised council pay from $100 to $150 per meeting, capped at $7,800 per year through Jan. 2030. Proposition J now requires council members in Places 1, 2, 3 and 4 to have lived in their districts for at least one year before election and throughout their terms. Proposition SS requires a city ethics code for council members and boards and commissions, with reviews at least every two years.

Taken together, the vote gave Richardson a larger capital program and tighter rules for how city government operates, setting up both construction work and institutional changes in the months ahead.