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College Station residents soundly rejected a proposed $26.3 million City Hall in Tuesday's election but supported four other propositions, along with an amendment to the charter.
A suggested $7.1 million community center fell short of passing by 405 votes, receiving 49 percent. The building would have replaced the conference center on George Bush Drive.
College Station Mayor Ben White said he thought the city hadn't done a good enough job of educating the public about the need for a new City Hall and the low-key plans for the building.
White said public opinion this time might have been influenced by an attempt five years ago to sell the public on a more ambitious facility.
However, White said all officials want is a functional administration building.
"Do we want it to look nice? Absolutely," he said, but residents have said they want their city headquarters to look professional, and that's what the council aimed for this time.
"With all the economic issues nationally, the timing was not right," White said.
The planned four-story facility for the city's 900 employees probably would have increased taxes by about 4.5 cents per $100 assessed property valuation. The tax rate now is 43.94 cents per $100, which means the owner of a $100,000 property pays about $440 in taxes.
City Manager Glenn Brown said that the need for more space still existed because staff members were working in closets and that officials would go back to the drawing board.
"We have no way of accommodating [the staff]," he said describing the council chambers as "enormously undersized."
White and Brown called the community center "grossly undersized" and the parking "horrible" but said they had been amazed by the amount of use it's had.
"We haven't really explored what plan B or C would be," Brown said about how they would meet that need after the vote failed.
Though discouraged by the big-ticket losses, officials were pleased with the voter approval on the other measures.
The city charter amendment that passed with more than 70 percent of the vote will allow approximately 30 qualified city employees to receive housing assistance through local programs for low-income families. The charter previously barred employees from the money.
College Station residents approved the issuance of almost $49 million in bonds to pay for 14 new traffic signals, create hiking and biking trails and build sidewalks throughout the city.
Improvements will be made to Victoria Avenue and Barron, Rock Prairie and Jones Butler roads and to pedestrian access in the Northgate area.
The Eagle talked to numerous residents for almost an hour after they voted outside the College Station City Hall on Tuesday evening and encountered many who didn't know the bond package was on the ballot.
However, Kimberly Cunningham, 27, said she'd lived in the city for eight years and tried to vote in all primaries and most city elections out of a sense of responsibility or in case she needs to complain about an issue.
Cunningham said she voted for the library improvements, the community center and the charter amendment.
"The library is a big part of my life growing up," she said.
Others apparently agreed; issuing $8.4 million in bonds for improvements to the Larry J. Ringer Library on Harvey Mitchell Parkway passed by more than 61 percent.
However, Cunningham said she voted against the street and transportation repairs and the new City Hall.
Cunningham said she thought putting the money toward schools would have been a better use.
John Magruder, 27, said he voted against all the six bond measures and the charter amendment. He said he typically doesn't vote in favor of giving the city more money.
"There is enough economic pressure," he said.
Describing herself as a little more politically active than some, Jennifer Dickerson, 28, said she voted in favor of everything except constructing the new community center because it seemed too "elaborate."
Brazos County Judge Randy Sims, who was at the Brazos Center as the votes were tallied, said he favored the street and fire safety improvements, but said no to the library, community center and City Hall additions.
"I think there are vacant areas in College Station; if they just look around, they could retrofit it," he said. "If you find a building out there, you don't want it to rot and create an eyesore."
Sims was among more than 74 percent of residents who also voted in favor of the almost $7 million in bonds for a new fire station at University Drive and Tarrow Street.
Also, more than 65 percent of residents passed nearly $13 million in bonds to finance improving parks, including Creekview Neighborhood Park, Central Park and Lick Creek Park. Debt also will be issued for expansion of the Lincoln Center and construction of a skate park.
White said the council now could begin working on more concrete plans for the propositions and the charter amendment and looking for alternative ways to deal with the inadequacy of the City Hall and the community center.
"The voters have spoken, and I respect that," White said. "We'll just have to move forward."
