Questions & Answers about the Jan. 29 Bond Referenda

Q: What, in a nutshell, are the bond referenda asking?
A: To purchase open space for public parks, to build a Public Safety/City Hall complex and to beautify the causeway. The other item is an exchange of City Hall land as part of the new municipal complex.

Q: Why is it important that these items pass?
A: Referendum #1, North Bay Village has only one small park and there is not much undeveloped land left in the City. We must act now to acquire available land before it is developed so we can quickly meet the growing demand for parks in our community.
A: Referendum #2, we have completely out grown our old City Hall building and it has been badly damaged by water leaks. Both the Police Department and the County Fire Rescue Department are in dire need of expanded and updated facilities. The City also needs a large multi-use facility for City activities, meetings and public events. This complex would serve all of these very important needs. Miami-Dade County will pay for the Fire-Rescue portion of the project.
A: Referendum #3, related to referendum #2, authorizes the exchange of City land to reduce costs.
A: Referendum #4, the Kennedy Causeway is the most visible, most traveled public street in our City. It is literally the face of North Bay Village. We must have funds for landscaping and beautification to keep it attractive and inviting for residents, businesses and visitors.

Q: What will happen if the bond questions pass?
A: The estimated increase in millage for all three bonds is 0.9580, bringing the total increase in the first year to less than one mill. In subsequent years, future growth will reduce these amounts. You may recall that the tax millage was decreased last year (2006-07) from a previous total of 6.0980. So, the total millage if all three bonds are accepted (5.7534) will still be substantially less than the amount before the rollback.

Q: What is the breakdown of each referendum item as far as millage increases?
A: For the first year, it will be Public Safety/City Hall 0.3921, Parks 0.4666 and Causeway 0.0993 resulting in a combined total of 0.9580. This means less than $96 per year for every $100,000 of assessed value. The millage rates will be significantly less in future years because of planned growth.

Q: Didn’t we have a similar bond referendum two years ago? What happened with that vote?
A: Yes, there was a bond referendum two years ago. Two referendum questions passed: The replacement of the City’s main sewer line and burying the utility lines. The planning, design, bidding and preliminary work on the new sewer line is well underway. The complex project to replace the aging sewer line is moving forward in phases and regular updates will be published in the Reflections and on the website. The burying of the utility lines is also moving forward.

Q: Why are we having another referendum now?
A: As mentioned before, the situation at the old City Hall complex has continued to deteriorate. Potential park land continues to disappear, even while the demand for parks is growing. The Causeway beautification is important for the City to promote a positive environment for our businesses and residents.