In addition to statewide constitutional amendments, Texans decided a variety of local ballot propositions at the polls on Election Day. These ranged from funding sports arenas to increasing property taxes to funding emergency services – and beyond.
Here's a breakdown of some of those results:
Austin: Proposition Q
Austin voters roundly rejected Proposition Q, the controversial city-backed plan to raise property taxes to pay for more than $100 million in homeless services and other city projects.
That was too tall an order for Austin voters, who shut the proposal down by a roughly two-to-one margin, according to numbers on Election Night.
Matt Mackowiak, a Republican political organizer who led a campaign against the measure, said the rejection of Prop Q sends a clear message to the Austin City Council: Cut back spending.
"Enough's enough. Our city council and our mayor already have said many times affordability is a crisis," Mackowiak said. "Well folks, you do not make affordability better by raising taxes. Children know that."
Responding to the defeat last night, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said that, going forward, Austin City Council members would trust voters and "learn from this election."
– Andrew Weber, KUT News
Collin County: Emergency Service District
Residents in unincorporated rural areas of Collin County in North Texas have long struggled to get fire and ambulance services.
Currently, the county pays neighboring cities and towns to answer 9-1-1 calls in unincorporated areas, but some municipalities have been opting out, saying they need more funds to meet demand.
Yesterday, though, residents in the unincorporated parts of the county voted in favor of creating an Emergency Service District for the region.
The new Emergency Service District will be able to levy property taxes to help pay for fire and ambulance services in those underserved areas. However, it will take at least a year to get the new district up and running – potentially creating a coverage gap.
In the meantime, Collin County Judge Chris Hill said he wants to maintain current emergency services. But that will depend on if the cities and towns the county works with agree to do so.
– Caroline Love, KERA News & Rachel Osier Lindley, The Texas Newsroom
San Antonio: Project Marvel
A proposal for a downtown sports and entertainment district code-named "Project Marvel" got the first greenlight from Bexar County voters. It includes a new, $1.4 billion downtown arena for the San Antonio Spurs.
"We're ready to do something really special," said Peter Holt, chairman of the Spurs. "It's going to help the Spurs. It's going to help the rodeo. It's going to help all sectors of the community, and it's going to be right in our heart of our city, which this is something we deserve."
Prop A increases the venue tax on hotels and car rentals — revenue that'll partially fund upgrades to the existing Spurs arena grounds and potentially creating a year-round rodeo. Prop B will use $311 million from the venue tax to fund the first portion of the Spurs' new facility.
Recently elected Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones tried unsuccessfully to slow down the arena development process. On Tuesday, before the polls closed, she said it was up to voters.
"This is a generational investment, and regardless of the outcome, I look forward to making sure that we've got a win-win for San Antonio," Jones said.
Opponents of Project Marvel felt burned by past unfulfilled promises of revitalization for the city's east side in 1999 when the Spurs asked voters to support building its current arena. The Spurs have pledged half a billion dollars for the new space.
Now, it's up to the city to determine its share and any lingering – or even unknown – costs.
– Joey Palacios, Texas Public Radio
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