Voters in southern Denton County can head to the polls starting later this month to vote on nine proposed state constitutional amendments as well as several town and school district issues and races.
The November election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Early voting runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. Those who are not registered to vote must register by Oct. 7.
State Constitutional Amendments
There are nine proposed state constitutional amendments on the ballot:
Proposition 1 (HJR 62) Authorize 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 member of the armed services of the United States who is killed in action.
Proposition 2 (HJR 79) Eliminate an obsolete requirement for a State Medical Education Board and a State Medical Education Fund, neither of which is operational.
Proposition 3 (HJR 133) Authorize a political subdivision of this state to extend the number of days that aircraft parts that are exempt from ad valorem taxation due to their location in this state for a temporary period may be located in this state for purposes of qualifying for the tax exemption.
Proposition 4 (HJR 24) Authorize the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the market value of the residence homestead of a partially disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a partially disabled veteran if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization.
Proposition 5 (SJR 18) Authorize the making of a reverse mortgage loan for the purchase of homestead property and to amend lender disclosures and other requirements in connection with a reverse mortgage loan.
Proposition 6 (SJR 1) Provides for the creation of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas and the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas to assist in the financing of priority projects in the state water plan to ensure the availability of adequate water resources.
Proposition 7 (HJR 87) Authorize a home-rule municipality to provide in its charter the procedure to fill a vacancy on its governing body for which the unexpired term is 12 months or less.
Proposition 8 (HJR 147 and SJR 54) Repeals Section 7, Article IX, Texas Constitution, which relates to the creation of a hospital district in Hidalgo County.
Proposition 9 (SJR 42) Expands the types of sanctions that may be assessed against a judge or justice following a formal proceeding instituted by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
You can find information on the propositions on the Denton County Elections website, www.votedenton.com and on the League of Women Voters of Denton website at www.lwvdenton.org.
Lewisville ISD
Three candidates have thrown their hats into the ring to run for the open Place 3 seat vacated by Dr. Mark Welding on the Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees this November: Flower Mound resident Angie Cox, Tracy Scott Miller of Highland Village, and Paige Shoven of Lewisville.
Cox, 43, owner of Cox Cleaning and Vice President/Escrow Officer for Allegiance Title, serves on the both LISD Education Foundation board and LSD Bond Oversight Committee.
Miller, 49, Client Partner/Executive Director for Convergys Customer Management Group, is a former Double Oak resident who served five terms on their town council.
Shoven, 36, an Optical Manager for JCP Optical in Frisco, ran for the Place 3 seat in May and lost to Welding by just 173 votes.
The Cross Timbers Gazette will moderate a Candidate’s Forum on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 6-7 p.m. at Flower Mound Town Hall for LISD Board of Trustee candidates. The event will be videotaped and rebroadcast on FMTV during early voting through Election Day. The forum can also be accessed on demand anytime at www.flower-mound.com.
The candidates completed a comprehensive questionnaire that is posted on The Lewisville Texan Journal’s website at www.lewisvilletexan.com.
River Walk PID
Flower Mound voters will decide the fate of a proposed Public Improvement District (PID) to fund improvements inside The River Walk at Central Park development.
The PID is targeted to fund enhanced amenities—such as water features, lighting, concession kiosks, a 250-seat chapel for meetings, enlarging the amphitheater, and performance and artistic features—within the River Walk. The projected enhancements for the Central Park section and overall development total $13.3 million.
The PID has no impact on the town’s bond rating, because the bonds are not municipal bonds, according to developer, Centurion American. The PID bonds will be repaid through assessments on property owners in the River Walk itself; not Flower Mound taxpayers.
Centurion American is hosting a community meeting for residents to discuss the River Walk project and proposed PID on Thursday, October 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church, 6101 Morriss Road.
Learn more about the proposed PID at visit www.flower-mound.com/riverwalk and www.flower-mound.com/riverwalkpid.
Denton ISD
The Board of Trustees of the Denton ISD has called for a $312 million bond package to present to voters on Nov. 5.
The bond package addresses growth, facility improvements and energy conservation.
In the six years since the last bond election, Denton ISD’s enrollment has grown by almost 28 percent – from 20,892 to 26,677.
The bond package includes a new high school, two new elementary schools, a new middle school, ninth grade addition to Guyer High School, renovations to existing schools, energy conservation Improvements to existing schools, and land acquisition.
The current debt service rate is 49 cents per $100 valuation. The district anticipates that the tax rate would increase by one cent per $100 valuation, but the actual increase will depend on future student enrollment and future growth in the district’s tax base.
Bartonville Town Council
Four candidates filed for the two open Town Council seats in Bartonville.
The two candidates running for the Place 1 seat, which expires in 2015, are Randy VanAlstine, 54, a resident for eight years, and Jeff Traylor, 47, a resident for 20 years.
The two candidates running for the Place 4 seat, which expires in 2014, are Richard Yerxa, 60, a resident for 14 years, and Gary Marco, 74, a resident of 33 years.
A candidate’s forum will be held on Thursday, October 10, at 7 p.m. at Bartonville Town Hall, 1941 E. Jeter Rd.
More information about the candidates will be available this month at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com and in the November issue.
Early Voting Locations Dates and Times
Monday–Saturday, October 21–26 from 8am–5pm; Monday–Wednesday, October 28-30 from 8am–5pm; Thursday–Friday, October 31–November 1 from 7am–7pm at:
Bartonville Town Hall , 1941 E. Jeter Rd., Bartonville
Carrollton Public Library, 4220 N. Josey, Carrollton
Copeland Government Building, 1400 FM 424, Cross Roads
Denton County Elections Administration, 701 Kimberly Dr., Denton
First Baptist Church of Sanger , 708 S 5th St., Sanger
Flower Mou
nd Police/Municipal Court Bldg, 4150 Kirkpatrick, Flower Mound
Frisco Fire Station #6 , 3535 Eldorado Pkwy., Frisco
Hickory Creek Town Hall, 1075 Ronald Reagan Ave., Hickory Creek
Justin Municipal Complex , 415 N. College, Justin
Krum ISD Administration Building, 1200 Bobcat Blvd., Krum
Lewisville Municipal Annex, 1197 W. Main Street, Lewisville
Pilot Point ISD Administration Building, 829 S Harrison, Pilot Point
Trophy Club Municipal Building, 100 Municipal Drive, Trophy Club
The Colony Government Center, 6301 Main, The Colony
Election Day
Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at your designated polling place. Visit www.votedenton.com or call 940-349-3200 for information.
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