Cleburne eyes cheaper options after $62.5 million public safety bond fails

Cleburne voters narrowly rejected a $62.5 million public safety bond on Election Day, with 4,811 opposed and 4,487 in favor — a margin of 324 votes, according to unofficial results from the Johnson County Elections Office. The measure would have funded a roughly 62,000-square-foot facility near Cleburne Regional Airport to consolidate the police department, fire administration, and municipal court. Mayor Derek Weathers says the city will hold a planning session in January to assess facility conditions and explore alternatives, including acquiring existing buildings or scaling back scope. He wants to avoid a tax increase but acknowledged one may ultimately be unavoidable, in which case the question would return to voters. Police Chief Rob Severance and Fire Chief Scott Lail both said the underlying facility needs remain urgent. Lail noted that crowded conditions in the police department's aging building are hampering officers' ability to do their jobs. Weathers also said the city plans to expand public outreach, noting that two pre-election town halls drew only about 10 attendees each.