Photo & Graphic by Noah Dawson
Early voting in the November 7th, 2023 election begins on Monday, October 23rd. While voters across Texas will all see fourteen proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution on their ballots, there are also several important local issues on ballots across the region. Find out what’s on your ballot below:
State of Texas Constitutional Amendments (All Counties)
Proposition 1
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture and wildlife management."
Proposition 2
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment authorizing a local option exemption from ad valorem taxation by a county or municipality of all or part of the appraised value of real property used to operate a child-care facility."
Proposition 3
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual wealth or net worth tax, including a tax on the difference between the assets and liabilities of an individual or family."
Proposition 4
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to establish a temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes; to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district applicable to residence homesteads from $40,000 to $100,000; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for ad valorem tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth appropriations; and to authorize the legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the board of directors of certain appraisal districts."
Proposition 5
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment relating to the Texas University Fund, which provides funding to certain institutions of higher education to achieve national prominence as major research universities and drive the state economy."
Proposition 6
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment creating the Texas water fund to assist in financing water projects in this state."
Proposition 7
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the Texas energy fund to support the construction, maintenance, modernization, and operation of electric generating facilities."
Proposition 8
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment creating the broadband infrastructure fund to expand high-speed broadband access and assist in the financing of connectivity projects."
Proposition 9
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas."
Proposition 10
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation equipment or inventory held by a manufacturer of medical or biomedical products to protect the Texas healthcare network and strengthen our medical supply chain."
Proposition 11
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities."
Proposition 12
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment providing for the abolition of the office of county treasurer in Galveston County."
Proposition 13
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment to increase the mandatory age of retirement for state justices and judges."
Proposition 14
Ballot language: "The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the centennial parks conservation fund to be used for the creation and improvement of state parks."
Hospital and School Board Elections
Stratford Hospital District Board of Directors Election (Sherman County)
Vote for none, one, two, or three:
Eddie Metcalf
Walter Spurlock
Marsha Wright
Alexa Reed
Stratford ISD Board Elections (Sherman County)
Vote for none, one, or two:
Trenton Stone
Keely Chumley (Incumbent)
Liz Tuttle (Incumbent)
Miami ISD Board of Trustees Election (Roberts & Gray Counties)
Vote for none, one, or two:
Chad Black
Zachary McDowell
Brian Benge (Incumbent)
Sidney Homfeld
Tommy Butler
Jeremy Anderson
Bond Elections
Booker ISD Proposition A $5 Million Bond Election (Lipscomb County)
Ballot language: “The issuance of $5,000,000 of bonds for the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, renovation, expansion and equipment of school buildings in the district (including a tornado safety room for elementary students and other safety and security improvements) and the purchase of new school buses, and levying and imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. this is a property tax increase.”
Panhandle ISD Proposition A $13.1 Million Bond Election (Carson County)
Ballot language: “The issuance of $13,144,108 of bonds by the Panhandle Independent School District for school facilities and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. This is a property tax increase.”
Panhandle ISD Proposition B $5.6 Million Bond Election (Carson County)
Ballot language: “The issuance of $5,624,305 of bonds by the Panhandle Independent School District for school stadium facilities and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. This is a property tax increase.”
Panhandle ISD Proposition C $500K Bond Election (Carson County)
Ballot language: “The issuance of $500,000 of bonds by the Panhandle Independent School District for technology improvements and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. This is a property tax increase.”
Abernathy ISD Proposition A $2.6 Million Bond Election (Hale and Lubbock Counties)
Ballot language: “The issuance of $2,600,000 of bonds by the Abernathy Independent School District for school facilities, land, and buses and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. this is a property tax increase.”
Abernathy ISD Proposition B $750K Bond Election (Hale and Lubbock Counties)
Ballot language: “The issuance of $750,000 of bonds by the Abernathy Independent School District for school stadium facilities, with priority given to the turf, and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. this is a property tax increase.”
Abernathy ISD Proposition C $5.9 Million Bond Election (Hale and Lubbock Counties)
Ballot language: “The issuance of $5,900,000 of bonds by the Abernathy Independent School District for a pre-k to 12th grade activity center and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. this is a property tax increase.”
Lubbock County Proposition A Bond Election (Lubbock County)
Ballot language: “The issuance of $35,485,000 of Lubbock County Texas, general obligation bonds for a new county Medical Examiner's office and the levy of a tax in payment thereof.”
Tax Ratification Elections
Sunray Collegiate ISD Proposition A Tax Ratification Election (Sherman & Moore Counties)
Ballot language: Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $1.1399 in Sunray Collegiate Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 4.16 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $108,122.”
Booker Hospital District Proposition A Tax Ratification Election (Lipscomb County)
Ballot Language: Approving the ad valorem tax rate of $0.75 per $100 valuation in Booker Hospital District for the current year, a rate that is $0.1613368 higher per $100 valuation than the voter-approval tax rate of Booker Hospital District, for the purpose of meeting operational expenses for the Booker Hospital District. Last year, the ad valorem tax rate in Booker Hospital District was $0.62296740 per $100 valuation.
Miami ISD Proposition A Tax Ratification Election (Roberts & Gray Counties)
Ballot language: “Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $1.2492 in Miami independent school district for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 12.51 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $300,629.”
Grandview-Hopkins Proposition A Tax Ratification Election (Gray County)
Ballot language: “Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $0.8031 in Grandview-Hopkins Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 3.40 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year which is an additional $30,283.”
Canyon ISD Proposition A Tax Ratification Election (Randall County)
Ballot language: “Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $.96 in Canyon Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of (16.574%) percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $(9,631,900).
Happy ISD Proposition A Tax Ratification Election (Randall, Armstrong, and Swisher Counties)
Ballot language: “Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $0.8173 in Happy Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 1.90 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $16,841.”
Nazareth ISD Proposition A Tax Ratification Election (Castro County)
Ballot language: “Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $0.988. in Nazareth Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of -2.39% percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional -$18,558.”
Dimmit ISD Proposition A Tax Ratification Election (Castro County)
Ballot language: “Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $1.0915 in Dimmit Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of 0.00 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $0.00.”
Other Tax/Spending Elections
City of Shamrock Proposition A Sales Tax Election (Wheeler County)
Ballot language: “The adoption of an additional sales and use tax within the city at the rate of one-quarter of one percent.”
City of Hereford Proposition A Baseball/Softball Complex Election (Deaf Smith County)
Ballot language: “Should the City of Hereford and the Hereford Economic Development Corporation combine some of their existing funds to build a 6.5 million dollar baseball/softball complex in the city limits of Hereford, Texas.”
Alcoholic Beverage Elections
Dallam County Proposition 1 Alcoholic Beverages Election (Dallam County)
Ballot language: “The legal sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages.”
City of Abernathy Proposition A Malt Beverages Election (Hale and Lubbock County)
Ballot language: “The legal sale of malt beverages and wine for off-premise consumption only.”
City Charter Election
City of Wolforth Proposition A City Charter Election (Lubbock County)
Ballot language: “The adoption of a home rule charter for the City of Wolfforth to include provisions for its form of government; powers of the city; the city council; departmental services; nominations and elections; recall, initiative and referendum; and other general and legal provisions.”
Note: For all proposition elections, the ballot options are “For” or “Against”