Ferris seeking approval of $12-million bond

FERRIS – On May 5, voters eligible to vote within the city limits of Ferris will have the chance to say yes or no to a $12 million bond project aimed at providing funds for the construction of a new city Municipal Center. 

The facility will include a Recreation Center, Senior Center, Police Station, Fire Station, City Offices, Council Chambers, Municipal Court and Municipal Jail. 

The idea for the new Municipal Center is to house all of these facilities in one easy location.

Ferris City Manager Bill Jordan said, “The bond proposal is the result of ongoing communication between the community and the City of Ferris with the purpose of providing enhanced community services and much needed updated facilities.”

The city believes there is a need for a new facility for a number of reasons. 

Currently, the police and fire departments are housed in temporary construction trailers and have been in this facility for several years. 

As the Ferris website indicates, this location was always just meant to be a temporary solution.

It is a costly one too but was necessary due to the old police and fire facilities being contaminated with mold. 

Due to the move into the temporary facilities the police department no longer has a jail, and the fire department is a block away from most of its equipment. It was noted that both of these conditions reduce first responders’ ability to provide the best service.

If passed, the bond will mean a new facility for these two departments and will provide a fire station that can house all the fire apparatuses as well as there being room for the fire crew that lives on premises. 

The new police station will include a municipal jail, which will mean Ferris officers will not have to transport prisoners to Red Oak. 

The community has also been asking for a local recreation center. The bond, if passed will also address that need and will “recognize the value of a healthy lifestyle and the need to provide a wholesome place for our youth,” the city website outlines. The recreation center will include not only a regulation-size basketball court with bleacher seating, but there will also be indoor tennis, pickleball, volleyball, rooms for group exercise classes, weight training and classrooms and office space.

A new Senior Center will mean the current Ferris senior program now hosted inside the First Baptist Church of Ferris will have a home of its own too. The church has allowed the City to run its senior program there since losing the old Senior Center on Church St. The new facility will also include a commercial kitchen, activity room, office for the Senior Center Director and there will be access to the recreation center classrooms and other amenities.

The bond will welcome new city offices. In Ferris, “City Hall” is now broken into three separate buildings. The aim of the new facility will be to bring all the city services under one roof. This will provide a one-stop-shop experience for the community including the consolidation of the Water Utilities department, Municipal Court, Economic Development, Community Development, Information Technology, Finance and all the city’s administration departments. 

In order for the $12 million bond to pass or fail voters are required to vote for or against the selling of City bonds.

If the bond election is approved, the City sells bonds and uses the bond proceeds to pay for the construction of the City’s planned facilities.

State law allows a city to only use bond revenues for the purposes outlined in the Bond Election.

For residents over the age of 65, home property taxes will not increase if the resident has filed the “Over 65” homestead exemption. This tax freeze is on the homestead only and may be adjusted up if major renovations are done to the property.

Early voting for the May election begins April 23 and Election Day is May 5, 2018 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ferris Public Library.