Taking a closer look at proposed bonds

I feel a civic duty to share my insights on the Biddeford bond questions on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Regarding the $2.27 million clock tower bond. Why is the bond for fixing the Biddeford city hall clock tower so expensive at $2.27 million? Last year, the State of Maine completely restored the much larger state house dome in Augusta for $1.3 million. I was inside the city hall clock tower recently and saw that it is a very simple structure comprised of exterior siding on wooden studs with no interior walls, no plumbing, no heating, a single electrical circuit, and very little visible rot. $2.27 million is way out of the ball park. Doesn’t anyone check these numbers before putting them out to the voters? Let’s have some due diligence here.

Regarding the $3.925 million sewer separation bond, I’m almost always in favor projects that will protect our environment such as the one proposed by the sewer separation bond. But where’s the matching money? The Federal government and other entities routinely award generous matching grants for environmental protection projects just like this one. Isn’t Biddeford seeking any of this grant money for our sewer separation project? With slightly more effort, the city should be able to get 2 to1, 3 to 1, or even better matching grants for any sewer separation bonds the voters might approve. I expect a much better deal before I vote in favor of a sewer separation bond. Similar matching grants are probably available for the “historic” clock tower as well.

Regarding the $5.99 million road bond. Before the high school bond, the city council would regularly fund the maintenance of our roads with approximately $1.5 million annually. They stopped funding road maintenance completely when the high school bond payments began five or six years ago. Now the city council wants to maintain our roads with another round of bonds. What will happen when the road bond payments kick in on top of the current high school bond payments that started this? Will the council then need more bonds to make up for their next round of cuts to our infrastructure maintenance budget? The city council shouldn’t keep holding out for bonds in place of budgeting any money for road maintenance. They need to restore some road money, even a little, in the next budget cycle and then increase it as possible thereafter. Bonds are not a sustainable way to pay for maintenance. This is how debt spirals get started.

Sign In: