AUSTIN, Texas — This November election, Central Texans are making their voices heard in presidential and U.S. Senate races, Texas Legislature races, mayoral races and more. Among the things they're voting on are ballot measures ranging from Voter-Approval Tax Rate Elections (VATREs) for school districts to bond projects for road improvements.
It all boils down to a lot of Proposition A's – and Prop B's, C's, D's and so on.
All those letters can get a little overwhelming, so we're breaking down the ballot measures you could see when you head to the polls. Not every Central Texan will see these propositions on their ballot, it all depends on where you're registered to vote. Here's everything that might appear on your ballot.
Note: This breakdown does not include the ballot propositions for Municipal Utility Districts, or MUDs. If you live in a MUD, please check the sample ballot for your county to learn more about MUD-specific props this election.
Travis County is asking voters to approve or reject a 2.5-cent property tax rate increase to expand access to affordable child care, after-school programming and related services for low-income families.
County leaders say the impact of Prop A comes out to roughly $126 more a year for the average Travis County property owner ($503,929 taxable property value).
Austin ISD's VATRE calls for voter approval of a $0.95 tax rate per $100 valuation for the current year. The district said if it's approved, a homeowner with an average value home in Austin would see a monthly increase of about $34 in district property taxes, or around $412 per year.
If approved, Austin ISD said it will spend about $17.8 million on a compensation plan that includes market adjustments for many teachers and staff members. Around $3.2 million would be spent on additional campus support, including instructional coaches, special education support, content interventionists and mental health support. Finally, about $20 million would be used to offset current costs and stabilize AISD's budget.
The Prop A for Travis County Emergency Services District (ESD) No. 2 would take away a half-cent of sales tax from the ESD, which is also known as the Pflugerville Fire Department.
Round Rock ISD has a $988 million bond election on the ballot to provide upgrades and address needs throughout the district. The bond election includes four propositions:
- Prop A: $798.3 million for maintenance and repair of schools, including replacing air conditioning systems, roofing, electrical, and plumbing systems and other updates like fresh paint, new ceiling tiles and flooring. Prop A would also allow the district to purchase new buses and to purchase and equip a new facility dedicated to expanding Career and Technical Education programs
- Prop B: $125.3 million to upgrade technology and infrastructure to support modern learning and to increase the speed, connectivity, reliability and security of the district's network
- Prop C: $8.6 million for improvements and upgrades to fine arts programs
- Prop D: $65.9 million for improvements to existing athletic facilities, including upgrades to locker rooms, lighting and scoreboards and adding artificial turf to competition fields. Prop D also includes the construction of a standalone multipurpose athletic facility
A $440 million road project lies in the hands of voters in Hays County. The bond is aimed at building and improving 31 roads throughout the county, including in cities like San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Wimberley and Dripping Springs.
The road bond would add a total of 2 cents per $100 valuation to the county tax rate, which is currently set at 35 cents per $100 valuation by the Hays County commissioners. Officials say that would be equivalent to an annual increase of about $80 for a $400,000 home – equaling to a $7 monthly increase.
San Marcos CISD's Prop A asks voters to approve or reject a tax rate of roughly $1.02 for the current year, which the district says would add approximately $2.8 million to its operating budget not subject to recapture.
The district said it would put the additional funding toward a compensation plan that included market adjustments for many teachers and staff.
If Liberty Hill ISD voters approve Prop A, the total school district tax rate will be $1.23 per $100 property valuation, which the district says would increase the monthly tax bill on the average median-value home ($462,264) by $18.11.
In addition to Prop A, the district also has a Prop B on the ballot. The district refers to Prop B as an "Attendance-Credit Election," which will authorize Liberty Hill ISD to begin making payments to the state of Texas through the recapture program.
Manor ISD's VATRE will allow voters to approve or reject a tax rate of roughly $1.08 per taxable $100. If passed, it will allow the district to access the maximum amount of tax revenue from "golden pennies," which are funds that are not subject to recapture and would remain with Manor ISD.
The district said if Prop A is approved, Manor ISD would get an additional $4.8 million injected into its budget, which it would use to provide all employees with a total 3% salary increase of the midpoint for the school year, fund salaries for new school police officers and equipment and fund salaries for new social workers and student programs.
If Prop A is approved, Manor ISD said a homeowner with an average home value in Manor ($233,192) would see about a $10 decrease in district property taxes per year.
If voters approve Marble Falls ISD's VATRE, the total school district tax rate will be roughly $0.91 cents per $100 property valuation, which would increase the monthly tax bill on a median-value home ($400,000) by $8.90.
The district said if approved, the VATRE would generate approximately $2.2 million to support recruiting and retaining staff, maintaining current classes sizes and continuing student activities and programs.
While Blanco ISD's VATRE doesn't appear on ballots as a "Prop A," it functions similarly to the props presented by other local districts.
Blanco ISD said if its VATRE is approved, a property owner who lives within the district would pay almost 2 cents more per $100 of property valuation. For a property owner with a $450,000 house and a homestead exemption of $100,000, that would mean approximately $62 more per year, or $5.16 per month, in taxes.
City of Lockhart Prop A
The city of Lockhart's Prop A is a special election for a charter amendment for the "Lockhart Freedom Act," which would reform marijuana enforcement in the city. Similar to other related acts passed in other Central Texas, it would decriminalize low levels of marijuana possession.
Caldwell County Prop A
Prop A for Caldwell County is a $150 million bond election for improvements to roads, bridges and highways and the "levying of a tax to pay the principal of and interest on" the bonds.
Williamson County ESD No. 3 Prop A
Prop A for Williamson County ESD No. 8, or Hutto Fire Rescue, addresses allowing firefighters to unionize. The prop asks voters to approve or reject adopting a state law that establishes "collective bargaining if a majority of the affected employees favor representation by an employees association, preserves the prohibition against strikes and lockouts, and provides penalties for strikes and lockouts."
Prop A for Williamson County ESD No. 8 asks voters to approve or reject adopting an up to 2% sales and use tax, bringing the total tax rate to 8.25%. The tax would apply to all goods purchased in ESD 8 and at online retailers.
The ESD said the sales tax revenue would help it maintain and enhance its emergency services through its partnership with the Georgetown Fire Department, including supporting the construction of new fire stations and the purchase of emergency equipment.
City of Bastrop Props A-M
The city of Bastrop's propositions all have to do with amendments to the city charter. Among those are a marijuana decriminalization act similar to that on Lockhart's ballot, removing the city's power to annex territory without inhabitants' consent, replacing gender-specific language in the charter with gender-neutral terminology and more.
The city of Bee Cave's propositions also all have to do with amendments to the city charter. Those include consolidating provisions regarding altering the city's boundaries through annexation and disannexation, allowing adjustments to pay for mayor and council "by ordinance only submitted to voters," clarifying auditor obligations, allowing more time for petition and charter amendment certification and more.
The city of Liberty Hill's Prop A asks voters to approve or reject the city adopting the proposed "Home Rule Charter," which the city describes as "the privilege of citizens at the grass roots level to manage their own affairs with minimal interference from the State."
City of Jarrell Prop A
The city of Jarrell's Prop asks voters to approve or reject reauthorizing local sales and use tax at the "rate of one-fourth" to continue providing funding for the maintenance and repair of municipal streets.
Coupland ISD's Prop A asks voters to approve or reject a tax rate of roughly $1.12 for the current year, which would result in an increase of 4.5% in the maintenance and operation tax revenue for the district for the current year compared to last year. That's an additional $208,733.
Round Top-Carmine ISD Prop A
This district's Prop A asks voters to approve or reject a tax rate of roughly $0.70 per $100 taxable valuation for the current year, which would result in an increase of 2.8% in the maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district compared to the previous year. That's an additional $178,366.
City of Austin Prop P
The city of Austin only has one prop on the ballot this November, and it's pretty specific. It asks voters if an untaxed area in the city of Austin's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) – containing 35 lots on approximately 96.9 acres of land on Menchaca Road south of Slaughter Lane– should be released from the ETJ and into unincorporated Travis County.
