Temple Voters Weigh $15 Million Bond to Replace Storm-Damaged Sammons Community Center
Temple's Proposition A would borrow up to $15 million to replace the 1921 Sammons Community Center, damaged in the 2024 tornado. Here is the cost.
Temple voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether the city should borrow up to $15 million to replace the Sammons Community Center, a building whose structural problems came to light after the May 2024 storms.
The measure is Proposition A, the only city bond question on the ballot. It would authorize general obligation bonds for design, construction, demolition, furniture and equipment for a new center, according to the City of Temple's bond election page.
An old building with new damage
The current Sammons Community Center was built in the 1920s and added onto over the years. After the May 22, 2024, storm, two engineering firms found an overloaded roof, weak roof connections, inadequate bracing and problems in the original brick structure, along with a broken sewer line under the building and electrical work that does not meet code, according to the city's FAQ. The city says the storm did not create all of those problems but brought attention to existing weaknesses, and staff concluded that replacing the building makes more sense than repairing it. The City Council called the election in August, according to a city press release.
The new center is planned at about 20,000 square feet, replacing an 18,300-square-foot building.
Where the money would go
The city has laid out a budget for the $15 million:
$12.25 million for the building and site work
$1.05 million for design
$1 million for furniture, fixtures and equipment
$550,000 for construction services
$150,000 for demolition
The city notes in its frequently asked questions that approval does not mean all $15 million will be spent. Final costs will depend on design and bidding.
What it means for your tax bill
The city estimates the bond would add about $0.0125 per $100 of taxable value, starting in fiscal year 2028. The city says that equals at most about $10 a year on a homestead appraised at $100,000, assuming a 20% homestead exemption. By Dock Line's calculation using the same rate and exemption, a $250,000 homestead would pay about $25 a year. Homeowners 65 and older with a tax freeze would not pay more as a result of the bond, the city says.
Other money may shrink the borrowing. The city has applied for a $1.5 million Texas Parks and Wildlife grant that has not been awarded, Rowan Development LLC has committed $3 million in community benefit funding that may be used on the project, and the city received $106,628 in insurance proceeds from the 2024 storms, according to the FAQ.
That is not a large number for one household. But it is a tax increase, and voters are right to ask the usual questions. Is the design the right size? Will the city hold the line at $15 million? What will it cost to run and maintain the new building every year after the ribbon is cut? Bond money builds things. Operating budgets keep them open.
A place that serves neighbors
Community centers are not glamorous, but they matter. At Sammons, the city lists fitness classes that draw 45 to 55 people three times a week, monthly community chats with 40 to 50 and twice-monthly bingo with 30 to 35. The new building is planned for residents of all ages.
Supporters will say a sound building is overdue. Skeptics will want to see the plans before they sign off on new debt. Both are reasonable positions, and the city has invited residents to come ask questions.
Learn more before you vote
The city is holding two open houses. The first is Monday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Gober Party House. The second is Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m. at the Wilson Recreation Center. Early voting runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.
Other Texas voters face similar questions this fall, from Spring ISD's tax rate election to Collin County's $817.5 million bond.
Bring your questions. Elected officials work for the people who pay the bills, and a bond election is one of the few times those people get the final word directly.
Hero photo: Billy Hathorn via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
