The $300 Million Infrastructure Bond — A Second Chance After 2022's Failure

active• berkeley

Berkeley's infrastructure is in crisis — and the city is making a second attempt at a major bond measure after a 2022 effort failed at the ballot. It is currently estimated that Berkeley's long-term infrastructure needs will exceed $1.5 billion, with the $300 million bond measure intended to work toward "stabilizing and modernizing critical civic infrastructure" — including renovation of the 911 dispatch center, sea level rise preparation, seismic retrofitting of Old City Hall, and fire station and park upgrades. The political challenge is formidable: the bond will need support from two-thirds of voters to pass — the same supermajority that eluded the 2022 effort — and several councilmembers have noted the potential measure will land on a 2026 ballot that could also include regional taxes to fund affordable housing and public transit agencies, as well as a parcel tax to support Berkeley's struggling performing arts groups, all of which will test voters' enthusiasm to open their wallets further. City Manager Paul Buddenhagen has warned: "The longer we defer the maintenance on all these projects, the more expensive they become."

Related cause: Infrastructure

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