NORTH TEXAS (WBAP/KLIF News ) – Voters will decide the fate of 14 amendments to the Texas Constitution when they cast their ballots on Tuesday for the November elections.
Key issues include propositions to lower your property tax bill, $1 billion to create a Texas Water Fund and local issues like bond packages to area school districts.
Here’s a breakdown of the 14 Constitutional Amendment Proposals:
Proposition 1: HJR 126 The proposition would add a new section to Article 1 to establish a right to farming, ranching, timber productions, horticulture and wildlife management on owned or leased personal property.
Proposition 2: SJR 64 City and county leaders can partially exempt child-care providers from property taxes for their facilities. The exemption would have to be at least 50% of the property’s appraised value.
Proposition 3: HJR 132 Would ban the wealth tax. The proposition would require lawmakers to ask voters for authorization before implementing any new state taxes on residents based on their net worth.
Proposition 4: HJR 2 Would raise the homestead exemption, the portion of a home’s value that can’t be taxed to pay for public schools. It would also temporarily limit appraisals for commercial, mineral and residential properties that don’t get a homestead exemption and are worth less than $5 million.
Proposition 5: HJR 3 Would rename the National Research University Fund to the Texas University Fund, which provides funding to certain higher education institutions to support research.
Proposition 6: SJR 75 The Texas Water Fund would create a $1 billion fund that would be used to finance projects to upgrade the state’s crumbling water infrastructure system. It would be administered by the Texas Water Development Board.
Proposition 7: SJR 93 The Texas energy fund would set aside $5 billion to support the construction, maintenance, modernization and operation of gas-powered electric generating facilities.
Proposition 8: HJR 125 Would create a $1.5 billion broadband infrastructure fund to expand internet availability, telecommunications and 911 services in Texas. This would be matched with federal funds from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program.
Proposition 9: HJR 2 Would provide a cost-of-living increase to certain recipients of the Texas Retirement System of Texas. Approval would add $3.3 billion to be moved from the general revenue fund to the retirement system.
Proposition 10: SJR 87 If approved, manufacturers of medical products would no longer have to pay taxes to school districts, cities and counties. It would exempt the value of equipment and inventory held by manufacturers of medial or biomedical products from a facility’s overall property values.
Proposition 11: SJR 32 Would allow conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds to fund parks and recreational facilities. It would levy property taxes to repay the bonds.
Proposition 12: HJR 134 Galveston County would abolish the county treasurer position and hire or contract an existing county official or other qualified individual.
Proposition 13: HJR 107 Would make the mandatory age for a state judge to retire 79 instead of 75. It would increase the minimum retirement age to 75 from 70.
Proposition 14: SJR 74 Would create the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund for the creation of and improvement of state parks.
There are also key municipal races, school bond propositions as well as city and county proposals as well.
DART and Trinity Metro are offering free rides to the polls.
Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across North Texas.
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