Tyler City Council Approves $82M Sewer Bond, Traffic Signal Project, and Grant Applications

The council also greenlit a $167,868 traffic signal timing improvement project and grant funding requests from the fire and police departments.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 10:35am

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The Tyler City Council received a presentation on a proposed $82 million revenue bond to refund and facilitate required city water and sewer projects, and unanimously approved a $167,868 traffic signal timing improvement project as well as grant funding applications for the Tyler Fire Department and Police Department.

Why it matters

The sewer bond funding will help the city comply with a federal Consent Decree to inspect and remediate its entire sewer system, ensuring public health and environmental protection. The traffic signal project aims to reduce congestion on key roads, building on previous improvements. The grant applications will enable the fire and police departments to upgrade their capabilities in chemical detection and crowd control at public events.

The details

The $82 million revenue bond would split funding, with $70 million going towards sewer system improvement projects required by the EPA, and $12.4 million used to refinance existing debt at a lower interest rate. The traffic signal timing project will address 26 intersections, building on prior improvements that have reduced congestion on South Broadway. The fire department grant would fund chemical detection equipment for its hazmat team, while the police department grant would purchase physical barriers to protect crowds at public events.

  • The revenue bond will appear on the next city council agenda for approval.
  • The traffic signal timing project is part of the Intelligent Transportation System Master Plan Year 6, funded through the city's Half Cent sales tax.

The players

Kate Dietz

Director of Utilities for the City of Tyler.

Cameron Williams

Traffic Engineer for the City of Tyler.

David Coble

Fire Chief for the Tyler Fire Department.

Jimmy Toler

Police Chief for the Tyler Police Department.

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What they’re saying

“Through that program, we are required to inspect the entirety of our sewer system, using internal cameras, where we go in and look at the inside of pipes, rate them and determine if they need to be remediated.”

— Kate Dietz, Director of Utilities (tylerpaper.com)

“We're starting to see the benefits of our signal timing and investment in our signal system. Last year, we were ranked 120, so we're seeing improvements and we know there are still frustrations, but that's a movement in the right direction.”

— Cameron Williams, Traffic Engineer (tylerpaper.com)

“It will allow us to identify chemicals that our current equipment will not identify at this point. Being able to upgrade our capabilities is very important.”

— David Coble, Fire Chief (tylerpaper.com)

“These would absolutely prevent a vehicle from going beyond a certain point based on the way they're designed. It would lift the front end of the vehicle up if somebody tried to drive through either on purpose or accidentally.”

— Jimmy Toler, Police Chief (tylerpaper.com)

What’s next

The revenue bond will appear on the next city council agenda and will be up for approval.

The takeaway

The Tyler City Council's actions demonstrate the city's commitment to upgrading its critical infrastructure, improving traffic flow, and enhancing public safety capabilities through strategic investments and grant funding. These initiatives aim to benefit Tyler residents and businesses by ensuring reliable sewer services, reducing congestion, and bolstering emergency response preparedness.