The City of Asheville will hold a series of informational Bond Expos in October, with presentations led by Mayor Esther Manheimer.
A question-and-answer session will follow the mayor’s presentation. Hand-out material with information about the three bond referendums that go before Asheville voters in the Nov. 8 general election will be provided. Here is the Bond Expo schedule:
- North Asheville – 6:30 p.m. Oct 10 in Jones Elementary School Auditorium, 544 Kimberly Ave.
- Central Asheville – 7 p.m. Oct 12 at the City of Asheville Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St.
- West Asheville – 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at Hall Fletcher Elementary School, 60 Ridgelawn Ave.
- South Asheville – 7 p.m. October 19 at the Skyland Volunteer Fire Department, 9 Miller Road.
In August, Asheville City Council approved a general obligation bond referendum that would generate $74 million for public improvements financed by the bonds. The public improvements are divided into three categories:
- Housing Affordability, $25 million
- Parks & Recreation, $17 million
- Streets, Sidewalks and Bike Lanes, $32 million
Voters will vote separately on each category.
For those unable to attend the Bond Expos, the City has educational material online. The City launched a bond referendum information webpage that provides detailed information how bonds work, what the impact could be on taxes and other information. The webpage features an interactive Proposed 2016 Bond Referendum Story Map guides voters through some examples of projects included in the proposed bond package.
Related coverage:
Interactive tool maps out proposed projects for Asheville bond referendum