EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY for NOVEMBER ELECTION
Early voting began Monday across Texas with voters deciding the fate of 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, as well as local races for city and school board, bond measures, and tax proposals. The Houston Chronicle reported that many of the propositions intend to lower property taxes for homeowners and businesses. There are two proposed changes to the homestead exemption.Prop 13 would raise the exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 for all homeowners. The amendment’s authors say that it would save homeowners an average of $363 annually. Prop 11 would raise the tax exemption for disabled Texans and those 65 and older from the current $10,000 to $60,000, bringing their total homestead exemption to $200,000.The additional property tax exemptions would cost the state $4 billion in property tax revenue over the next two years.Prop 9 would raise the tax exemption for businesses’ personal property from $2,500 to $125,000. Other propositions include small property tax cuts for specific groups, such as surviving spouses of deceased veterans.Prop 4 would create a $1 billion annual fund for water infrastructure projects, financed by state sales tax revenue. Half of the money, if it passes, would go for new water projects. The other half would go to fix deteriorating infrastructure.A nonpartisan explanation of all 17 propositions provided by the Texas Legislative Council can be found at https://tinyurl. com/mt3yjwfd.
