Turner Telegram: Constitutional Amendment Edition

On Tuesday, November 3, Texans will cast the final votes for 11 amendments to the Texas Constitution. Early voting for these important measures began on Monday and I hope that you take the time to cast your vote on these propositions.

With so many amendments, I won’t explain each and every one, but I would like to let you know about a few that I think will greatly impact our region.

PROPOSITION 2
Currently one’s ad valorem, or property tax, is based on the “highest and best use” of a property. This means that even if the property being taxed is a home, but would be more valuable as a commercial property, the appraisal may be based on what would be the highest value, in this case as a commercial property. Proposition 2 would end the practice of using “highest and best use” value when determining how much a residential property is worth. If this passes, it could translate into lower ad valorem taxes for some homeowners.

PROPOSITION 3
From time to time, my office receives calls from constituents who feel as though their property was appraised incorrectly. Because appraisal districts are not state agencies and their procedures may vary from county to county, it is often times hard to determine what set of guidelines a particular county appraisal district may use. Proposition 3 would ensure that there is a uniform set of appraisal standards and procedures used by all appraisal districts throughout the states, specifically when determining the value of a property.

PROPOSITION 4
During the 81st Legislative Session, I co-authored House Bill 51, which puts in place guidelines for seven “Emerging Research Universities” to become “Tier One” research universities. One such university is the University of Texas at Arlington. While not in House District 96, UTA plays a vital role in the district that I represent. Proposition 4 would allow the state to start a fund to aid emerging research universities to become “Tier One” schools. The money for this fund will simply be transferred from an existing fund that is not currently in use. If you would like more information from the supporters of the proposition, please visit – www.4prop4.com.

To read about the rest of the Constitutional amendments, including the pros and cons, click here.

We also have some important local elections on tap. The Arlington Independent School District is holding a bond election to make needed infrastructure improvements to local schools. You can find more information on that here.

If you live in Fort Worth, you get to vote to continue the Crime Control and Prevention District.

No matter how you vote on all these proposals, please get out and vote! You can find information on Early Voting and your polling location here.

On another note, earlier this week, I was joined by State Senator Leticia Van De Putte and a dozen veteran leaders to unveil the first Texas Lottery Veterans Cash scratch-off ticket.

Passing the legislation to create this game was the highlight of my first session and it gives me great pride to know that so many veterans in need will receive help as a result of the proceeds from this ticket.

Here’s a video of my remarks and the unveiling of the ticket.

The ticket will go on sale on November 9th, right before Veterans Day — when it does, I think it will make a big difference.