Election
BY HANNAH NORTON, DARCY SPRAGUE & BEN THOMPSON
Texas voters OK 17 constitutional changes Nearly 3 million Texans voted in the Nov. 4 election, approving all 17 constitutional amendments proposed by state lawmakers, per unofficial counts from the secretary of state. The overview The newly-approved changes to the Texas Constitution include increased property tax exemptions for homeowners and businesses; a $20 billion investment in water infrastructure; new rules for the state judicial oversight commission; and tighter restrictions on when judges can grant bail. Other amendments will create new tax exemptions for certain groups or prohibit the creation of specific taxes. Each statewide proposition was approved by at least two-thirds of Texas lawmakers before being placed on the ballot.
Results breakdown
Proposition 10: Tax exemption for homes destroyed by fire
For
Against
Passed
65.37% 34.63% Proposition 2: Ban on capital gains taxes 30.97% Proposition 1: Texas State Technical College Funding 69.03%
89.28%
10.72%
Proposition 11: Homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners
77.68%
22.32%
Proposition 3: Tightening bail rules 61.14% Proposition 4: Water supply funding 70.42%
Proposition 12: Judicial oversight 61.90%
38.86%
38.10%
Proposition 13: Increasing the homestead exemption 79.41% 20.59% Proposition 14: State dementia research institute 68.57% 31.43%
29.58%
Proposition 6: Ban on securities transaction taxes 58.87% 45.13% Proposition 5: Animal feed tax exemption 63.61% 36.39% Proposition 7: Tax exemption for military spouses 86.25% 13.8% Proposition 8: Ban on death taxes 72.22% 27.78% Proposition 9: Business tax exemption 65.05% 34.96%
Proposition 15: Parental rights 69.87%
30.13%
Proposition 16: Requiring citizenship to vote 71.95% 28.05% Proposition 17: Border security tax exemption 57.42% 42.58%
For a longer version of this article, visit communityimpact.com.
17 propositions on the ballot passed 0 of 17 propositions failed
SOURCE: TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Austin voters reject tax increase
HaysCo voters support tax increase for emergency services A voter-approved tax rate increase for the North Hays County Emergency Services District No. 1— serving the Dripping Springs, Driftwood and Henly areas—was approved by 60% of voters, or 4,859 of the 8,081 who have cast a ballot in the Nov. 4 election. Results are unofficial until canvassed. What happened The North Hays EMS board adopted a proposed fiscal year 2025-26 tax rate of $0.05 per $100 property valuation in August. That rate, a 60.93% hike from the previous rate of $0.03107 per $100 valuation, required voter approval as it would gen- erate more revenue than allowed under state law. The tax rate voters approved this election will result in an additional $100 annually, or $8.33 per month, on the tax bill of residents whose home has
North Hays ESD No. 1 results The emergency services district serving Dripping Springs, Driftwood and Henly asked voters to approve a tax rate increase to fund staffing needs.
Austin Prop. Q results
For
Against
Passed
Proposition A 4,866 3,225
For
Against
Proposition Q 62,952 109,375
SOURCE: HAYS COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: HAYS COUNTY, TRAVIS COUNTY, WILLIAMSON COUNTY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
a taxable value of $500,000. The tax increase will be used to fund staffing needs for EMS response capabilities and reduce overtime for emergency medical personnel, as previously reported by Community Impact. In April, North Hays EMS split from San Marcos Hays County EMS, partly due to the North Hays EMS board wanting taxpayer dollars to go into their service area, Chief Bob Luddy said.
Austin voters rejected Proposition Q, a 20% tax rate increase, by a nearly two-to- one margin. The outcome dropped the city tax rate by 5 cents, although it’s still about 10% higher than last year’s. The election also led city officials to cut the fiscal year 2025-26 budget they approved in August (see Page 14).
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SOUTHWEST AUSTIN - DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION
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