The Greater Austin Chamber is on record in support of all three Travis County bond propositions, a total $150.8 million. The bond package includes $65.2 million for roads, $62 million for parks, open space and drainable and $23.5 million for jails.

The Chamber board unanimously endorsed the bond package, noting that the bonds will provide needed infrastructure in the county and numerous road projects that would provide connectivity to SH 130, a major Chamber priority.

"State Highway 130 will allow tremendous economic development opportunities for many decades to come," said Chamber Vice-Chair of Transportation and Regional Development Elizabeth Christian of Elizabeth Christian & Associates Public Relations. "We must construct the necessary infrastructure to ensure that development may occur there and away from our county's fragile environmental areas. Therefore, State Highway 130 is not only a valuable economic development investment, but also the single best environmental protection project in Travis County."

The Chamber's resolution said: "The minor property tax increase that will be needed to repay the bonds is well worth the investment in infrastructure and open space to ensure future economic development opportunities."

It also recommended that some of the $7 million of non-earmarked funds for open space purchases be used in the SH 130 corridor to protect against flooding and preserve open space.

Among the 18 road projects and 12 parks and drainage projects that would be funded are:

• Howard Lane, Decker Lake Road and Parmer Lane construction related to SH 130.
• Right of way acquisition for FM 1431, 1626, 1826 and 2244
• Design for Hamilton Pool Road
• Improvements to Gattis School Road, Slaughter Lane and Wells Branch Parkway
• Improvements to East Metro Park, Northeast Metro Park and Southwest Metro Park
• Southwest open space purchases
• Onion Creek Greenbelt improvements

"We urge Travis County voters to support all three bond propositions," Christian said. "Let's build a better Travis County together."

The jail improvements are necessary to bring the county into compliance with state jail regulations.

The Greater Austin Chamber Board has also recommended support for Propositions 1, 3, 5 and 9—amendments to the state Constitution. These proposed amendments will improve safety by allowing the relocation freight rail operations out of dense urban areas, safeguard our cities' abilities to create jobs through economic development initiatives, level the playing field for banks and provide leadership continuity for our regional mobility authority.

Early voting runs until Friday, November 4. The election is Tuesday, November 8.

About the Chamber: The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in the five-county metro area—building a better community since 1877. It has more than 2,700 business, educational and non-profit organizations as members, of which 80 percent are small businesses. The Chamber is all about economic prosperity in Central Texas. Opportunity Austin—the Central Texas Business Initiative, is in its second year of the effort to create 72,000 new jobs and a regional economic impact of $14 billion. In the first year, 16,200 jobs were created.