Plano North | October 2023

From the cover

$683M Collin County bond could address growth

Diving deeper

The overview

As Collin County’s population grows, so does the number of animals and pets housed at its animal shelter, county officials said. The shelter expansion is desperately needed, said Joanie Brown, a Collin County Animal Shelter animal control officer. The shelter was built in 2006 and has not been expanded in that time. “[The shelter hasn’t] grown so we’re just extra full with having to house all the extra animals,” Brown said. Collin County cities, such as Frisco, McKinney, Prosper and Celina, contribute animals to the shelter through their individual animal control departments, Development Services Manager Misty Brown said via email. Other entities, such as Plano, have their own shelters available. County population growth also has led to a need for more outdoor spaces, officials said. Some bond funds from Proposition D are earmarked to improve Plano parks. Three Plano parks are recommended to receive funding to cover portions of three outdoor space projects. The funding for the projects was requested by city officials.

allocate funds to expand the county’s animal shelter. Proposition C would replace the existing medical examiner’s office, and Proposition D would direct funds to a number of parks. Proposition E, the largest funding sum, will go toward various road projects. County officials said the road projects are expected to include: • Rebuilding county roads that are projected to be overloaded • Developing regional corridor roadways • Improving city thoroughfares Some roadways within the county see 10,000 cars a day, Public Works Director Jon Kleinheksel said. Beyond traffic numbers, large trucks used for development construction are causing wear and tear on existing roads, so upgrading those roads and creating new ones is essential, he said.

Collin County officials point to the county’s continual population growth as the main reason behind the $683.4 million bond package voters will consider as part of the Nov. 7 ballot. County officials are looking to make infrastructure and facility improvements due to their increased use by the growing population. “Growth is the big issue,” county Engineering Director Clarence Daugherty said. “Collin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, and that just puts a strain on all the services in the county.” Daugherty worked with the county planning board, which organized the bond package for the commissioners’ approval. Proposition A would include an expansion of the justice facilities. Proposition B would

Collin County bond Collin County residents will see a $683 million bond on the Nov. 7 ballot. The bond is broken into five propositions that will address county growth.

A

Proposition A: $261.86M justice facility projects Proposition B: $5.7M county’s animal shelter Proposition C: $13.36M medical examiner’s office

Proposition D: $22.45M parks and open spaces Proposition E: $380M various road projects

Legacy Trail • $1.34 million project cost • $500,000 recommended funding Preston Ridge trail connector • $549,637 project cost • $200,000 recommended funding Los Rios Park Trail • $2.56 million project cost • $250,681 recommended funding

Bond total $683M

E

C

B

D

SOURCE: COLLIN COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: COLLIN COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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