Early Voting starts today for the November 5 election. CLICK HERE to view all early voting locations in Tarrant County. We encourage all of our Chamber members to vote. Your voice needs to be heard.
The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors unanimously voted to support both the AISD and TCC bonds up for election. You can learn more about the Chamber’s positions on the bonds here – AISD and TCC.
While the Chamber has not to take a position on the 10 Texas Constitutional Amendments up for election, we want to encourage all voters to be well informed as they enter their polling location. The below editorial was written by the Dallas Morning News editorial board and serves as the voice and opinion of The Dallas Morning News.
Proposition 1
Permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time
RECOMMENDATION: Yes
Already in Texas, appointed municipal judges can serve multiple jurisdictions. This amendment would extend that ability to elected judges as well. This change would give smaller jurisdictions a better shot at getting qualified judges to oversee ordinance violations
Proposition 2
Providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $200 million to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas
RECOMMENDATION: Yes
At least 400,000 Texans lack clean water and about 100 Texas communities lack basic water and wastewater services. This measure would allow the Texas Water Development Board to issue $200 million in bonds to fund projects in the state’s Economically Distressed Areas Program. These dollars would allow the state to improve public health and provide for economic development. Approving this amednmentis fiscally prudent and morally right.
Proposition 3
Authorizing the Legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by a disaster
RECOMMENDATION: Yes
Disasters can destroy property value, and the last thing owners need is to wrestle with new valuations. This proposition would authorize the Legislature to provide temporary relief for ad valorem taxes on properties after a disaster. Approving it is the fair thing to do.
Proposition 4
Prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual’s share of partnership and unincorporated association income
RECOMMENDATION: No
This newspaper opposes a state income tax. Its absence is one of the big reasons people move here and companies do business here. The state constitution already requires the approval of a majority of lawmakers and then a majority of voters to change that. But Proposition 4 would unnecessarily require a supermajority (two-thirds). There’s no need to clutter the constitution with unnecessary amendments like this. Voters should pay attention at the polls because the ballot language is confusing. A “yes” vote means you want to make it tougher to create a state income tax. A “no” means you’re in favor of keeping the law the way it is.
Proposition 5
Dedicating the revenue received from the existing state sales and use taxes that are imposed on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission to protect Texas’ natural areas, water quality and history by acquiring, managing and improving state and local parks and historic sites while not increasing the rate of the state sales and use taxes
RECOMMENDATION: No
Our parks are in need of constant upkeep as we attract more Texans. So it’s good to fund a robust parks system and historical commission to protect our architectural treasures. Proposition 5 would dedicate revenue from taxes on sporting goods to this purpose. That is a perfectly fine thing for our Legislature to do, but this would bind future Texans to a taxing structure that might not make sense later.
Proposition 6
Authorizing the Legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
RECOMMENDATION: Yes
Texas’ investment in the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has allowed our state to become the second largest public funder of cancer research, behind only the National Cancer Institute. CPRIT funding has supported more than 100 clinical trials, lured about a dozen companies to the state, and laid the groundwork for billions of dollars in follow-on investing. CPRIT is the reason about 170 cancer researchers and their labs are in the state, including MD Anderson Cancer Center’s James Allison, who won the 2018 Nobel Prize. Such accomplishments must be nurtured to keep Texas a national leader in cancer research.
Proposition 7
Allowing increased distributions to the available school fund
RECOMMENDATION:Yes
School funding in Texas is complicated. It includes one mechanism to fund public schools with proceeds from oil and gas production and other investments in public land. That fund has performed like gangbusters with the oil boom, but school children haven’t shared in the bounty because the state constitution caps the amount that can be transferred from the Public School Fund, which manages the land assets, into the Available School Fund, which distributes money to school districts. Proposition 7 would raise that cap from $300 million per year to $600 million.
Proposition 8
Providing for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation and flood control projects
RECOMMENDATION: Yes
No statewide funding mechanism exists to help cities and counties prepare for flooding. Proposition 8 would authorize $793 million from the state’s rainy day fund to finance drainage, flood mitigation and flood control projects. The costs of recovering from a major flood are far greater than the dollars required to take preventive steps. This fund would especially help small communities.
Proposition 9
Authorizing the Legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state
RECOMMENDATION: No
The Texas Bullion Depository is a unique, state-operated storage for privately-owned precious metals opening next year. Proposition 9 would exempt deposits there from property taxes. But there are three problems. First, there is not currently a property tax on gold. Second, Texans need no special incentive to invest in gold or other commodities outside of the free market. And third, our legislators need to create laws governing precious metals without asking voters to change the constitution.
Proposition 10
To allow the transfer of a law enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances
RECOMMENDATION: Yes
Police dogs generally live with their handlers while they’re in service. Voters should allow them to retire with them, too. Currently, they are prohibited from doing so because of a state law that prohibits the transfer of public property for private purposes. This amendment would change that.