Election Day 2023: 14 constitutional amendments, tens of billions in bonds

(The Center Square) – Texans are voting today on 14 constitutional amendments, tens of billions of dollars in bonds and property tax increases, key races in Houston and in a special election in Texas House District 2.

14 constitutional amendments

Voters will decide on permanently amending the Texas Constitution to reduce property taxes, further subsidize childcare and higher education institutions with low free speech rankings, expand water quality, create a Texas Energy Fund to stabilize the grid, increase public school teacher retirement benefits, make permanent tax increases in El Paso County, increase the mandatory retirement ages of judges, create a $1 billion parks and wildlife fund and other issues.

More information about the 14 constitutional amendments can be found here.

One key amendment is Proposition 4, which would provide historic property tax relief based on two bills passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott. The bills were filed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston. They increase the homestead exemption to $100,000, reduce the amount homeowners pay to school districts, and create an appraisal cap pilot program.

If the amendment passes, homeowners with an average home value of $330,000 have been told they will receive a yearly permanent tax cut of between $1,250 and $1,450 “as long as they live in a homestead property. Over the life of a typical 25-year mortgage, homeowners could save between $25,000 and $30,000,” Bettencourt says.

However, these property tax reduction savings could be wiped out for some residents living in cities, counties and independent school districts that proposed tens of billions of dollars in bonding debt and property tax increases on Tuesday’s ballot.

Tens of billions of dollars in debt and property taxes

At least seven counties and 16 cities have a minimum of $6.6 billion worth of bonds on the ballot. In addition, cities have proposed sales taxes expected to bring in billions of dollars of additional revenue if approved by voters.

The largest county bond in Texas on the ballot is Harris County’s $2.5 billion (principal only) to expand the county’s health-care and hospital infrastructure.

The five largest Texas Independent School District bond propositions total nearly $17 billion in debt (principal only). When current debt obligations are included, the total climbs to more than $24.7 billion. In some cases, the bonds’ interest is higher than the proposed bond amount.

The combined nearly $25 billion in combined total debt obligations is for slightly more than 186,000 students enrolled in the 2021-2022 school year. Many are economically disadvantaged.

There are at least 86 ISD bond propositions on the ballot with nearly $16 billion in debt principal only. Residents in Collin and Denton counties will be voting on the largest total debt obligation of over $7.6 billion proposed by Prosper ISD.

Two of the smallest rural ISDs have $200 million in combined debt obligations on the ballot for fewer than 750 students: Brackett ISD in Kinney County and Utopia ISD in Bandera, Medina, Real, and Uvalde counties.

Key races in Houston for mayor, city council

The largest city in Texas – Houston – has several key races on the ballot, including for its new mayor and city council members. Of the 14 mayoral candidates running to replace outgoing Democratic Mayor Sylvester Turner, two Democrats from Houston are nearly tied for the lead in polling: state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

Violent crime has been a top concern for Houstonians ahead of Tuesday’s election, with Whitmire pledging to clean up the city and make it safer. He and others have pointed to judges releasing alleged violent criminals on bonds who then commit additional violent crimes, worsening the city’s violent crime epidemic.

Another key race is for a city council seat in which famed trial attorney Tony Buzbee, who defended Attorney General Ken Paxton in his impeachment trial, is hoping to unseat incumbent Houston City Councilwoman Mary Nan Huffman. Both are Republicans.

Huffman, who won a special election last year, is an attorney who represents the Houston Police Officers’ Union. Buzbee challenged Turner for mayor in 2019 but lost by 14 points.

House District 2 election

In deep northeast Texas’ House District 2, candidates are vying to replace disgraced former state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, who was unanimously expelled by the Texas House of Representatives in May after having a sexual relationship with his 19-year-old intern.

Six candidates are running, including one Democrat in the heavily Republican district. Two are frontrunners, Jill Dutton and Brent Money, who are backed by opposing factions in the Republican Party of Texas and heavyweight consulting groups and donors.

Dutton, a former Van ISD school board member, is backed by former Republican Gov. Rick Perry, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, and Murphy Nasica. Money, a former Greenville city councilman, is backed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, AG Paxton, RPT Chairman Matt Rinaldi, and Axiom Strategies.

A runoff election is expected as none of the six candidates are likely to receive 50% of the vote.