A pair of propositions approved by voters in Midland, Texas may send new business to heavy equipment dealers in West Texas. (Bee Equipment photo)

A pair of propositions approved by voters in Midland, Texas, last November will provide $100 million to upgrade the city's streets and infrastructure and may send new business to heavy equipment dealers in West Texas.

Supporters said it's a much-needed move to improving the rapidly growing city with a long list of failing roads.

Bee Equipment, of Lubbock, already sends equipment to the area and expects to benefit from the approved bond package, said general manager Everett Monroe. But the benefits will extend beyond equipment dealers.

“It should create jobs, stimulate their economy,” Monroe said. “I'm sure it will approve their road, water and sewer. Not a whole lot of voters came out, but the ones that did definitely voted for it.”

Kirk Daniels, general manager of Cisco Equipment in Odessa, doesn't expect to see an increase in business since most of their equipment is utilized by the oil industry. But he believes the city's investment will help many businesses in a number of ways.

“Midland/Odessa is just a large oil field area for West Texas,” Daniels said. “Any time we can improve our community, it is obviously a benefit for everyone. The explosion of growth in the population out here in the last 10 years is incredible. Living out here as long as I have — 25 years — and seeing the growth of houses and new subdivisions and buildings and condos and apartments and grocery stores, it's been incredible and it is because the oil fields are growing. I have no doubt that the traffic has increased. The more traffic, the more problems you have with the roads. Oil field traffic is a problem because it is heavy trucks carrying heavy loads. They are moving like ants with a fever. We just wear out the road. It's difficult to get people to move out here and want to live here, so our labor pool suffers. If we have any ugly town and beat up streets, just compounds the problem. Cleaning up the roads means you can bring in a better quality of laborers.”

The $100 million combines $74.09 million from Proposition A for street improvement with $25.91 for water and sewer system improvements.

Proposition A was favored by 57 percent of voters, while nearly 60 percent approved Proposition B, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.

CEG

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