What to know about the Tax Ratification Election
Mission residents have the opportunity to vote for more state aid for Mission CISD without increasing taxes and homeowner tax relief in the Nov. 7 election.
PROPOSITION A
Proposition A is the item related to state aid for Mission CISD.
On the ballot, it reads: “Ratifying the ad valorem tax rate of $1.1130 per $100 valuation in Mission Consolidated Independent School District for the current year, a rate that will result in an increase of -15.49 percent in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the district for the current year as compared to the preceding year, which is an additional $-4,137,009.”
Basically, constituents are voting on whether the district can move money from one fund to another, reallocating $0.0317 from the interest and sinking fund to the maintenance and operations fund.
The interest and sinking fund (I&S) exclusively pays for bond debt payments. The maintenance and operations fund (M&O) exclusively pays for district operations. If voters approved the reallocation, they would allow the district to unlock an extra $2.7 million in state funds at no cost to the taxpayers.
“[Mission CISD] would have this extra funding to utilize as the district needs — to implement instructional programs, to supplement for salaries, to do a variety of things,” MCISD Financial Advisor Angel Magallanes said. “There’s no expiration date. Once it’s approved by the voters, this continues year after year. This is extra funding that the district will be able to see year after year.”
Voting for Proposition A means voting in favor of reallocating the funds to generate more state aid. Voting against means denying the reallocation of funds.
PROPOSITION 4
Constituents also have the opportunity to give themselves more tax relief with State of Texas Proposition 4.
On the ballot, it reads as: “The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to establish a temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes; to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district applicable to residence homesteads from $40,000 to $100,000; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for ad valorem tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations; and to authorize the legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the board of directors of certain appraisal districts.”
Over the summer, the state government passed Senate Bill 2, which increased the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000 and created property tax relief. Homestead exemptions lower taxes because they remove part of a home’s value from taxation.
However, constituents still have to approve the increase during the Nov. 7 election before it can go into effect.
Voting for the State of Texas Proposition 4 means voting in favor of the increased exemption and property tax relief. Voting against it means denying the exemption.
Early voting runs Oct. 23 to Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 7.
