Current Priority Issue 🛑

Mega $ City Hall Proposal

• Since 2022, the City Council has been developing a plan for a costly new city hall building. Rather than refreshing and renovating the existing building at a much lower cost, the push has consistently focused on constructing a new building from the ground up, while also spending millions more to keep and upgrade the existing city government building.

• The ante continues to rise as there are now $5 million plans for the city to purchase and demolish Mission Road Bible Church for an expanded city government campus.

• The estimated project cost of $30 million for municipal buildings is extreme for a small community of less than 6.2 square miles and a population of 23,000 (a population that is not significantly increasing given the fully built-out, landlocked position of the city).

• To make matters worse, some on the City Council are intent on platinum-level construction costs that are not necessary — and that are not used in any non-government projects in our city! Why insist on 30% higher building costs (or more) when taxpayers are footing the bill?

• The City Council chamber is used just five times a month, twice for council meetings, twice for municipal court, and once for planning commission.

• At public meetings held on the city hall project, citizen input has tilted 3 to 1 against a project of this size and cost. A much more reasonable renovation would cost far less and fully meet the needs of city government, including a sizable investment in our police and public safety personnel.

• If the City Council insists on a spending project of this magnitude — likely more than $30 million — it should be put to a vote of the people. (Click here for information on city taxes and debt.)

Where We’ve Been & Progress Made

Rezoning Changes

• In June 2022, when the City Council voted in support of drastic and unnecessary changes to the existing zoning framework, citizens quickly mobilized to maintain homeowner property rights and the character of our single-family neighborhoods. We spoke out loudly to limit:

  — More crowding of already crowded schools

  — Loss of green space

  — Drainage issues

  — Demand on an aging utility infrastructure

  — More traffic / less parking

• After significant public input over many months, single-family residential zoning rules were maintained — for now.

• Kudos to the citizens for their ongoing engagement that led to this positive outcome. PV United continues to closely monitor this issue. While zoning changes may seem “boring,” they can have a dramatic impact on our quality of life in our Tree City USA neighborhoods.

Community Center

• Some members of the City Council tried to impose a taxpayer-funded community center project on us with a building cost of about $55 million. Interest paid on the project over 30 years would have driven the total cost up to about $93 million, and the city’s bond rating would have been harmed, resulting in higher interest rates.

• PV United stood up for the taxpayers during this process to ensure transparency and awareness, and the council ultimately backed away from the fiscally irresponsible concept in October 2024. Kudos to the citizens for their ongoing engagement that led to this positive outcome.