Election Results Mixed for Bond and Construction Funding Across the Southwest

The results of Tuesday�s election are in, and voter approval of school and construction bonds throughout the region was hit or miss, with some major defeats handed out.

The southwest�s largest bond issue, New Mexico�s $155.2-million request for funding dozens of higher education and special school projects throughout the state, failed by a narrow margin of less than 2,500 votes. Smaller state-wide bonds, providing $7.7 million for senior citizen facilities and $7 million for various libraries, were successful.

Voters in New Mexico�s most populous county, Bernalillo, passed all of its bond measures, including $25 million for parks, roadways and storm/wastewater projects. A separate $20-million bond for the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority to make improvements to flood control and storm water systems was also approved.

In Arizona, Scottsdale�s request for $63.6 million in general obligation bonds for construction and maintenance of streets, drainage and public safety facilities was turned down by voters.

In the suburbs of Phoenix, Kyrene Elementary School District�s $116-million school improvement bond passed, as did Chandler Unified School District�s $84.3-million bond measure to fund renovation and new school construction.

Voters in the City of Mesa gave a decisive victory to the Chicago Cubs in the city�s bid to finance an $84-million spring training baseball stadium, which supporters said was needed to keep the team from abandoning the state�s Cactus League for competitor Florida. The stadium is expected to open in 2013.

In the Tucson area, voters ok�d a $16-million bond for Continental Elementary School District #39 and $43 million for Marana Unified School District #6.

Voters in Flagstaff turned down the funding of a $42-million city maintenance services center and $23-million municipal courthouse.

In Nevada, Carson City School District�s approximately $37.5-million school modernization and construction program passed muster at the ballot.

Voters emphatically rejected the repeal and amendment of part of the PISTOL initiative passed in 2008 that greatly restricted eminent domain proceedings.

Blair leads day-to-day operations of the ENR editorial team to ensure brand quality and further best practices. He spearheads ENR's various competitions, including Best Projects and the Award of Excellence, and organizes editorial content at events including the Top Young Professionals conference. A Jesse H. Neal, Construction Media Alliance and AZBEES-award-winning writer and videographer, Blair frequently contributes to ENR’s burgeoning video channel with project tour videos and interviews with industry leaders. He is also a frequent speaker and moderator on topics such as diversity and inclusion, design and jobsite technology, construction means and methods and marketing.