Election propositions pose challenging questions
May 7—Voters head to the polls Saturday to decide issues that can make an ongoing impact on their state and communities.
Never have Henderson County voters taken part in deciding the fate of so many school bond dollars. The largest individual school bond passed was $72 million, by Malakoff ISD in 2021.
Henderson County Elections Administrator Paula Ludke said polling places in the county have been consolidated to 10 in various locations around the county.
"When the polls close, we'll tabulate the early vote and absentees," she said. "That usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Then we have to wait for the boxes to come in. That can take a while, especially if they're from Seven Points or Chandler."
When they arrive, they are lined up in the order they arrived to be counted.
When early voting ended on Henderson County on Tuesday, a total of 1,424 had cast ballots in person and another 429 ballots had been received by mail. That accounts for 3.23% of the registered voters.
Here's a county-wide roundup of what will be decided:
State of Texas Proposition 1
The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead.
State of Texas Proposition 2
The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $25,000 to $40,000.
Gun Barrel City
Mayor
—Zachary Kennedy
—David Skains
—Linda Rankin
City Council Place 2 East
—Rita Evans — unopposed
City Council Place 4 West — unopposed
—Cindy Key
Seven Points
Mayor
—Skippy Waters
—Wanda Nichols
Chandler
City Council Member — pick up to three
—Lauren Fletcher-Kendrick
—Stacey Dickson
—Cy Ditzler
—Janeice Lunsford
—Charlie Stringer
—Conley Cade
Mabank
City Council Member — pick up to three
—Gilbert Mitchell
—Derek Harrill
—Tyson Adams
—John Chappell
Trinity Valley Community College
Board of Trustees District 7
—Kevin Kilman
—Jerry Stone
Mabank ISD
Board of Trustees, Place 1
—Dustin Conner — unopposed
Board of Trustees, Place 2
—Mikey Thompson
—Denise Mitchell
Board of Trustees, Place 3
—Robby Teague
Proposition A
The issuance of $94,000,000 of bonds by the Mabank Independent School district for constructing, renovating and equipping school facilities and levying the tax in payment thereof. this is a property tax increase
Athens
Proposition A
The reduction of the local sales and use tax in the city of Athens dedicated for the benefit of a section 4b economic development corporation from one-half of one percent to one-fourth of one percent and increasing the sales and use tax designated for property tax relief from one-half of one percent to five-eighths of one percent and increasing the sales and use tax designated for general revenue from one percent to one and one-eighths percent.
Brownsboro ISD
Proposition A
The issuance of $20,550,000 of bonds by the Brownsboro Independent School District for a new auditorium with practice space, CTE/health science addition and AG workshop renovation at the high school, and cafeteria expansion at the junior high, and levying the tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.
Cross Roads ISD
Proposition A
The issuance of $6,000,000 of bonds by the Cross Roads Independent School District for new baseball/softball complexes, a field house/restroom/concession area, elementary playground improvements, band hall renovations, and a new track surface and levying the tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.
Proposition B
The issuance of $1,000,000 of bonds by the Cross Roads Independent School District for artificial turf for the football field and energy-efficient lighting and control equipment and levying the tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.
