Voters are being asked to consider several amendments to the state Constitution on the Nov. 8 ballot. The following is the state’s ballot language and a breakdown of what it means.

Proposition 1

SJR 14: The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran.

Breaking it down: All completely disabled veterans receive a property tax exemption from the state. Currently a spouse loses that deduction upon the death of the veteran. This change would allow a spouse to continue to have the deduction, even carrying it on to a new homestead in the future. Some groups have criticized it for not expiring in the case of the surviving spouse remarries. Many legislators say that issue can be fixed during the next legislative session, however.

Proposition 2

SJR 4: The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $6 billion at any time outstanding.

Breaking it down: The state’s water authority board wants to be granted license to issue up to $6 billion in bonds without having to go back to voters for repeated approval. The board has been approved to issue over $4 billion in bonds by the voters in the past for projects like flood control and water decontamination. The bonds essentially serve as debt for the board in order to pay for those projects; the board then pays it off with revenue collected from the public.

Proposition 3

SJR 50: The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds of the State of Texas to finance educational loans to students.

Breaking it down: Like Proposition 2, this is asking voters to give the government permission to stay in debt by issuing bonds without having to seek public approval. Once an old bond amount is retired, the state could then be issued a new bond in the same amount, without asking voters for permission.

Proposition 4

HJR 63: The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped or blighted area and to pledge for repayment of the bonds or notes increases in ad valorem taxes imposed by the county on property in the area. The amendment does not provide authority for increasing ad valorem tax rates.

Breaking it down: Municipalities in Texas now have the authority to issue bonds to redevelop areas it deems are blighted and unproductive. This amendment would extend that power to county governments as well. While the amendment does not authorize tax increases, property values are expected to increase when an area is redeveloped, bringing in more revenue for the government entity.

Proposition 5

SJR 26: The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to allow cities or counties to enter into interlocal contracts with other cities or counties without the imposition of a tax or the provision of a sinking fund.

Breaking it down: Cities and counties who wish to enter into some kind of project together, must now treat the contracts involved as a debt. This amendment would do away with that provision and proponents say it would be a cost-saving measure and produce more efficiency, while opponents claim that it could allow for more cronyism.

Proposition 6

HJR 109: The constitutional amendment clarifying references to the permanent school fund, allowing the General Land Office to distribute revenue from permanent school fund land or other properties to the available school fund, to provide additional funding for public education and providing for an increase in the market value of the permanent school fund for the purpose of allowing increased distributions from the available school fund.

Breaking it down: The permanent school funds money comes from mineral rights, gas taxes and land ownership. This change seeks to transfer money from property sold by the permanent school fund to the available school fund − the fund which distributes money directly to local school districts.  Property owned by the permanent school fund would be added to the fund’s total value, thus, in theory, allowing for more money to be distributed to local districts.

Proposition 7

SJR 28: 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.

Breaking it down: This would allow El Paso the authority to create a park district, adding it to a list of 10 counties which currently have that authority. If passed the county can take steps to create a park authority and begin to levy taxes and issue bonds within El Paso County.

Proposition 8

SJR 16: The constitutional amendment providing for the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space land devoted to water stewardship purposes on the basis of its productive capacity.

Breaking it down: This would allow water conservation to be added to a list of property tax exemptions that land can be devoted to in order to qualify for tax breaks. This will offer tax breaks for landowners in order to encourage water conservation.

Proposition 9

SJR 9: The constitutional amendment authorizing the governor to grant a pardon to a person who successfully completes a term of deferred adjudication community supervision.

Breaking it down: Currently a person who is convicted of a crime in Texas and serves their sentence is eligible for a pardon. However, someone who was not convicted, but agreed to deferred adjudication (meaning completing a supervised probationary period, in order to avoid prosecution) is not eligible. This change would allow those not convicted to be pardoned and to keep their record clean.

Proposition 10

SJR 37: The constitutional amendment to change the length of the unexpired term that causes the automatic resignation of certain elected county or district officeholders if they become candidates for another office.

Breaking it down: Elected officials in certain offices in Texas are required to resign from their positions if they wish to seek another elected office if the election is within one year. This change adds thirty days to the total timeframe, to project voting rights of military personnel overseas and reflects changes in filing dates and other changes made by a new federal law called the Military and Overseas Voting Empowerment Act.

The election will be held Nov. 8. Early voting runs until Nov. 4 and the last day for election officials to receive your application to vote by mail is Nov. 1. Contact your local election official for more information, or for polling locations. You can also find more information at the Texas Secretary of State’s website, www.votexas.org.

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