El Paso voters deciding on multi-million dollar bond that aims to improve public safety

EL PASO, Texas — El Paso voters were deciding Tuesday on a multi-million dollar public safety bond..

The $413 million bond will fund projects and improvements for both El Paso Police Department and El Paso Fire Department.

The bond would devote more than $191 million to the fire department for new facilities, more resources in growing neighborhoods and improved training facilities.

The bond would give police close to $222 million for increased community policing and a new academy to help future growth of the force. It would also fund the building of a new Eastside Regional Command Center, which is expected cut response times in far east El Paso.

“This directly attacks response times. I want to be very clear, it’s not like we’re going to dramatically go down by seven, eight or 10 minutes, but it is going to alleviate other parts where they provide services,” said El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez.

If approved, the bond would raise property taxes. The city estimates that for every $100,000 your home is worth, your property taxes would rise by roughly $12 each year for six years.

By year two, property taxes would increase by $24 dollars. In year three, that increase would be $36, and so on.

The tax would cap off at around $72 by year six, and that amount will hover at that range until the bond is paid off 25 years later.

That would be on top of the $907 in city property taxes El Pasoans pay for every $100,000 their home is worth, and that’s before claiming exemptions.