Superintendent Update for November 1, 2023:
There will be 14 constitutional amendments on the November 7th election ballot. Many of these proposed amendments would create funding for higher education research, water infrastructure, gas-fueled power plants, broadband infrastructure, maintenance and creation of state parks, raising the homestead exemption for homeowners from $40,000 to $100,000, creating tax exemptions for medical equipment and child-care facilities, and banning Texas lawmakers from imposing wealth taxes without voter approval. Some other amendments would grant retired teachers cost-of-living raises, raising the mandatory retirement age for judges, and protecting some farming and ranching practices from state and local regulation.
I hope you will get out and vote. There are two Propositions that will impact school districts and retired school teachers. Proposition 4 would authorize the legislature to establish the amount of exemption to homesteads from $40,000 to $100,000. If voted through, this amendment would send $7.1 billion to school districts to lower taxes and it would send $5.6 billion additional funds to districts to fill the void on the homestead exemption issue. This amendment would ease the tax burden for taxpayers while allowing districts to pose VATRE’s (Voter Approved Tax Ratification Elections) to their taxpayers if additional funds are needed for the day-to-day operations of the district. This step would be subject to school board and local taxpayer approval. There are a few districts that have added this measure to their November 2023 ballots to generate needed dollars and give local patrons a tax break if the increased homestead exemption passes.
Proposition 9 is the constitutional amendment authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. For some, this would be the first raise they will see in almost 20 years. Passing this amendment would allow lawmakers to fund the $3.3 billion needed to give this raise. The money would come from the general fund.
I would encourage you to get out and vote on November 7th. There are many more important issues on the ballot.