2021 Bond Questions: We break down what’s on the ballot this week

Like a Bruins game in August, a special election in March just seems weird. Rhode Islanders are headed to the polls Tuesday for the fourth time in less than a year. In 2020, state leaders moved to spin off the traditional bond borrowing questions from the ballot, giving them their own special election. All seven questions encompass $400,000 million in principal alone for borrowing for various projects across the state. When counting interest, the total cost is $641,940,697.

State leaders say there’s no better time to borrow. “With these bond measures, Rhode Islanders have an opportunity to spur job creation and improve our economic competitiveness,” said Treasurer Seth Magaziner in a press statement. “By supporting these bonds, we can help ensure a broad-based recovery for all Rhode Islanders.” As with prior elections in the COVID age, state officials, including Nellie Gorbea, have urged Rhode Islanders to make a plan to vote early, by mail or at local towns halls. The Secretary of State’s office received at least 90,000 applications for mail ballots, and thousands have voted early. Received wisdom in Rhode Island says voters have never met a bond initiative they didn’t like.

Here’s what the ballot looks like:

Question 1

Public colleges are on the ballot again, as University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and Community College of Rhode Island are applying for $107 million in bonds. URI is seeking to renovate its fine arts center, a project that started under prior bonds three years ago for an initial amount of $12 million. According to official releases from the institution, the project is slated to receive an infusion of $57.3 million if passed by voters next week. Money will go toward new lobby space, classrooms, the Robert E. Will Theatre, art studios and major changes to music spaces. The university’s website describes the building as designed “in the blocky, monolithic brutalist style,” originally built in 1968.

Rhode Island College is hoping to receive a bond of $38 million for its Clarke Science Building renovation. RIC, as with URI, has frequently been on the ballot with major upgrades and reconstruction for various buildings across its campus. “A modernized Clarke Science facility will support the state’s economy while positioning RIC to be more competitive in the region,” said college president Frank Sanchez in a prepared statement. “Rhode Island College is an emerging leader in STEM-related fields such medical imaging, nursing and the physical sciences.”

Finally CCRI is seeking $12 million dollars to renovate and update classrooms and student support on its Knight (Warwick), Flanagan (Lincoln) and Liston (Providence) campuses. Warwick’s campus will be building an additional elevator, while the Providence and Lincoln campuses will use the money to reconstruct classrooms and labs. 

Question 2

The environment is back on the ballot this year, as the state seeks $74 million for beaches, clean water and other green uses. Money would be borrowed to provide for renovating state facilities at Goddard Park, Colt State Park, Brenton Point State Park, Roger Wheeler, Scarborough and Misquamicut state beaches as well as state campgrounds. The money provides additional money for open spaces, dredging and protecting rivers, and Narragansett Bay.

“Narragansett Bay has come a long way from where it was 50 years ago,” says Topher Hamblett, director of advocacy for Save the Bay. “Back in the early ’70s and thru the ’70s and ’80s, the Upper Bay was really an open sewer because of lack of adequate wastewater treatment infrastructure.” Back then most of the waters and urban rivers were unsafe to be around. Rhode Islanders have since chosen to invest more in wastewater facilities, and as a result the Bay is much better. 

“The bay is teeming with life, with fishing, with kayaking, with boating,” says Hamblett. “They used to be places to avoid, but now they are places where people want to go.” The clean water part of the bond, approximately $15 million, would go toward drinking water and wastewater facilities, the first line of defense in Narragansett Bay. Hamblett compares them to automobiles, requiring regular maintenance as part of a long-term investment of keeping the bay clean.

Question 3

Affordable housing bonds are on the ballot again. You can read our complete breakdown of affordable housing in Rhode Island and what that would do here.

Question 4

Years after Rhode Works, the state is still rebuilding roads and bridges. The bond itself is $71.4 million, but state officials hope to combine it with federal funding for a total of $358.5 million to redo bridges and highways. This is one of the few questions to get pushback from activists. Critics cite the 2014 bond that was meant to improve statewide transit, but was instead used to facilitate the (controversial and ongoing) breakup of Kennedy Plaza in Providence. Critics also single out replacing large sections of the highway with more lanes, something that doesn’t actually decrease traffic.

Question 5

Childcare facilities are making their first appearance on the ballot this year. The industry has seen closures across Rhode Island under the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read our complete breakdown of the situation here.

Question 6

Arts and other creative organizations are on the ballot this year. Trinity Rep’s historic building hasn’t received significant renovations since the theater group moved into the building in the early ’70s. They got a few rounds of restoration money in prior years, and this year’s place on the question will be the most they’ve gotten. Important caveat, Trinity Rep, along with any other arts organizations hoping to receive the grant money in the question, has to match the funding.

“The plan is to expand out on the east side of the building to build an elevator tower that services all levels of the building,” said Trinity Rep executive director, Tom Parrish. “As well as adding more classroom space, office space, audience amenities…” Construction is slated to begin in the next few years, and the theater company is in the middle of developing a schedule to enable construction without hindering a regular (non-COVID world) schedule.