Cleburne Voters Weigh a $62.5 Million Bond for a New Police and Court Building
Cleburne's Proposition A on the Nov. 3 ballot asks voters to approve up to $62.5 million in bonds for a public safety facility. The city estimates the tax impact at $53.17 a year per $100,000 of value.
Cleburne voters will see a $62.5 million question on their Nov. 3 ballot. It deserves a careful read.
According to the City of Cleburne, the city council approved an ordinance placing Proposition A on the ballot. It asks whether the city may issue up to $62.5 million in general obligation bonds. The money would pay for a new public safety facility housing the Cleburne Police Department, Fire Administration and Municipal Court.
Why the city says it is needed
The city says the current police headquarters dates to 1966-67, when Cleburne had about 15,700 people. It estimates the population today at 38,926. Planning followed several years of reviewing space needs for public safety and the municipal court.
The new facility would sit on about 6 acres of city-owned land near North Nolan River Road and Airport Drive. Current plans include space for police, fire administration, the municipal court, emergency operations and training, and community use. A nine-member Public Safety Facility Study Group took part in the planning and recommended the council ask voters for up to $62.5 million.
What it would cost you
Based on current assumptions, the city estimates the bonds would raise the tax rate by $0.05317 per $100 of taxable value. That works out to about $53.17 a year, or $4.43 a month, for every $100,000 of taxable value. On a home taxed at $250,000, that is roughly $133 a year by the city's own math.
The city cautions that the final impact could change depending on property values, exemptions, interest rates and when the bonds are sold. It also says the $62.5 million figure is based on the current facility plan and estimated costs.
Questions worth asking
Police officers working out of a building that is nearly 60 years old, in a city more than twice the size it was then, is a fair case for something new. But a bond is a long-term debt that taxpayers carry for decades. Voters can fairly ask what the city has considered short of a new building. They can ask how firm the cost estimate is, and what happens to the old headquarters.
The city held community meetings in September. It points residents to cleburne.net/bond2026 for the project history, renderings and updates. City Hall is at 10 N. Robinson St., 817-645-0900.
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