Megan Navarro
HAYS COUNTY — There are several elections that are set to take place on the Nov. 4 ballot in Hays County.
State constitutional amendments
Throughout the state of Texas, a special election will be held for voters to adopt or reject 17 constitutional amendments proposed by joint resolutions, as submitted by the 89th Texas Legislature.
The propositions for the joint resolutions will appear as follows, according to a proclamation through the governor’s office:
Proposition 1: "The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the permanent technical institution infrastructure fund and the available workforce education fund to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System."
Proposition 2: "The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of a tax on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate or trust."
Proposition 3: "The constitutional amendment requiring the denial of bail under certain circumstances to persons accused of certain offenses punishable as a felony."
Proposition 4: "The constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue."
Proposition 5: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation tangible personal property consisting of animal feed held by the owner of the property for sale at retail."
Proposition 6: "The constitutional amendment prohibiting the legislature from enacting a law imposing an occupation tax on certain entities that enter into transactions conveying securities or imposing a tax on certain securities transactions."
Proposition 7: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a veteran who died as a result of a condition or disease that is presumed under federal law to have been service-connected."
Proposition 8: "The constitutional amendment to prohibit the legislature from imposing death taxes applicable to a decedent's property or the transfer of an estate, inheritance, legacy, succession or gift."
Proposition 9: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of the market value of tangible personal property a person owns that is held or used for the production of income."
Proposition 10: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of the appraised value of an improvement to a residence homestead that is completely destroyed by a fire."
Proposition 11: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district of the market value of the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled."
Proposition 12: "The constitutional amendment regarding the membership of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the membership of the tribunal to review the commission's recommendations and the authority of the commission, the tribunal, and the Texas Supreme Court to more effectively sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct."
Proposition 13: "The constitutional amendment to increase the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district from $100,000 to $140,000."
Proposition 14: "The constitutional amendment providing for the establishment of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, establishing the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund to provide money for research on and prevention and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and related disorders in this state, and transferring to that fund $3 billion from state general revenue."
Proposition 15: "The constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children."
Proposition 16: "The constitutional amendment clarifying that a voter must be a United States citizen."
Proposition 17: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the amount of the market value of real property located in a county that borders the United Mexican States that arises from the installation or construction on the property of border security infrastructure and related improvements."
Wimberley ISD
There will be two positions for the Wimberley ISD Board of Trustees that will be on the ballot. Will Conley, who currently serves in Place 4, and Chad Canine, who currently serves in Place 5, will be running unopposed for their respective seats.
Conley was initially elected to the board in 2019 and has been living within Wimberley for 19 years, according to his election filing application. He and his wife, Erin, have three children who attend WISD schools.
“I am excited to continue the important work of supporting the best teachers and students in the state by working closely with a very dedicated team of board members,” said Conley. “This board has opportunities to build on the innovation that enhances student success, while also embracing new ideas and strategies that are the hallmark of a WISD education.”
Canine, who currently serves as the board secretary, was elected as a trustee in 2022, and has lived in Wimberley for five years with his wife, Erin, their daughter, Arabella, who attends Jacobs Well Elementary School, and golden retriever, Kenna, according to the district’s website. Canine is an engaged member of the community, actively serving his church and local nonprofits, while owning two local businesses. He has more than 20 years of experience as a financial advisor and brings a strong foundation in financial planning, along with a deep commitment to education and community engagement, the website continued.
Hays County Municipal Utility District No. 12
Also on the ballot is a special election with six propositions related to the Hays County Municipal Utility District (MUD) No. 12.
According to the order calling for the election, alongside confirming the creation of the MUD, the other five propositions include the following, which all have a tax increase:
An operation and maintenance tax for the district not to exceed $1.20 per $100 valuation of taxable property.
The issuance of $220,475,000 bonds for water, wastewater and drainage system facilities and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $82,460,000 bonds for roads and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $330,712,500 bonds for refunding water, wastewater and drainage system facilities bonds, including refunding bonds issued therefor, issued pursuant to Section 59, Article XVI of the Texas Constitution and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $123,690,000 bonds for refunding road bonds, including refunding bonds issued therefor, issued pursuant to Section 52, Article III of the Texas Constitution, and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay principal of and interest on the bonds.
Voters will also be asked to elect the permanent directors of the district. The ballots used in the election for the permanent directors shall have the names of five temporary directors appointed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or their replacements as follows: Laura Anderson, Malcolm Young Brian III, Karen Hernandez, Debora Licon and Minda Lopez.
The voter may vote for none, one, two, three, four or five people for director. If the district has received an application by a write-in candidate, the ballots shall have blanks after the names of the temporary directors for a voter to write in the name of any write-in candidate, according to the order.
More information on Hays County elections can be found at www.hayscountytx.gov/elections.
