Tomorrow’s election day voting for Precinct 130 and 131 will be held in the City of Italy Council Chambers, 105 W. Main Street, Italy from 7:00am to 7:00pm.

The Ballot

The following is the propositions as they appear on the ballot as well as a summary.

Proposition 1

“The constitutional amendment authorizing the financing, including through tax increment financing, of the acquisition by municipalities and counties of buffer areas or open spaces adjacent to a military installation for the prevention of encroachment or for the construction of roadways, utilities, or other infrastructure to protect or promote the mission of the military installation.”

Summary: This amendment would allow the legislature to authorize a municipality or county to issue bonds or notes to finance the acquisition of buffer areas or open spaces adjacent to a military installation.

Proposition 2

“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the ad valorem taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of the property’s value as a residence homestead.”

Summary: This amendment would authorize the legislature to provide for the taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of its value as a residence homestead, regardless of whether residential use by the owner is considered to be the highest and best use of the property.

Proposition 3

“The constitutional amendment providing for uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for ad valorem tax purposes.”

Summary: The proposed amendment would remove the requirement that administrative and judicial enforcement of uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for property tax purposes originate in the county where the tax is imposed. It would also remove the exception that the legislature may provide for political subdivisions with boundaries extending outside the county. It would instead give the legislature full discretion to prescribe the manner of the enforcement of uniform appraisal standards and procedures.

Proposition 4

“The constitutional amendment establishing the national research university fund to enable emerging research universities in this state to achieve national prominence as major research universities and transferring the balance of the higher education fund to the national research university fund.”

Summary: This amendment would create the national research university fund for the purpose of providing an independent source of funding to enable emerging state research universities in Texas to achieve national prominence as major research universities. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University would not be eligible to receive money from the fund.

Proposition 5

“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to authorize a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities that elect to provide for consolidated equalizations.”

Summary: This amendment would authorize a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities instead of a board for each entity.

Proposition 6

“The constitutional amendment authorizing the Veteran’s Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in amounts equal to or less than amounts previously authorized.”

Summary: This amendment would authorize the VLB to provide for, issue, and sell general obligation bonds of the state for the purpose of selling land to Texas veterans or providing them home or land mortgage loans. The proposed amendment would remove the $500 million cap on the principal amount of bonds outstanding at any one time and instead require that the principal amount of outstanding VLB bonds provided, issued, or sold for those purposes at all times be equal to or less than the aggregate principal amount of state general obligation bonds previously authorized for those purposes by prior constitutional amendments.

Proposition 7

“The constitutional amendment to allow an officer or enlisted member of the Texas State Guard or other state militias or military force to hold other civil offices.”

Summary: This amendment would exempt officers and enlisted members of the Texas State Guard and any other active militia or military force organized under Texas law from the prohibition against holding or exercising more than one civil office of emolument at the same time.

Proposition 8

“The constitutional amendment authorizing the state to contribute money, property, and other resources for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of veterans hospitals in this state.”

Summary: This amendment would authorize the state to contribute money, property, and other resources to establish, maintain, and operate veterans hospitals.

Proposition 9

“The constitutional amendment to protect the right of the public, individually and collectively, to access and use the public beaches bordering the seaward shore of the Gulf of Mexico.”

Summary: This amendment would establish that the public has an unrestricted right to access and use a public beach. “Public beach” would mean a state-owned beach bordering on the seaward shore of the Gulf of Mexico, extending from mean low tide to the landward boundary of state-owned submerged land to which the public has acquired a right of use or easement by prescription or dedication or has established and retained a right by virtue of continuous right in the public under Texas common law. The proposed amendment also would authorize the legislature to enact laws to protect that right and to protect the public beach easement from interference and encroachments. In addition, it would establish that its provisions do not create a private right of enforcement.

Proposition 10

“The constitutional amendment to provide that elected members of the governing boards of emergency services districts may serve terms not to exceed four years.”

Summary: This amendment would authorize the legislature to provide that members of the governing board of an emergency services district may serve terms not to exceed four years, instead of the previous term limit of two years.

Proposition 11

“The constitutional amendment to prohibit the taking, damaging, or destroying of private property for public use unless the action is for the ownership, use, and enjoyment of the property by the State, a political subdivision of the State, the public at large, or entities granted the power of eminent domain under law or for the elimination of urban blight on a particular parcel of property, but not for certain economic development or enhancement of tax revenue purposes, and to limit the legislatures’s authority to grand the power of eminent domain to an entity.”

Summary: This amendment would specify that the term “public use” does not include the taking of property for transfer to a private entity for the primary purpose of economic development or enhancement of tax revenues. Effective January 1, 2010, the proposed amendment would limit the legislature’s ability to grant the power of eminent domain to an entity by requiring the grant to be approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house.

Local Proposition

“The legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only.”

Summaries were obtained from http://wiserepublican.org/2009_Gen_Elecction/Const_Amends.pdf.