WilCo Election Guide 2019: What's On The Ballot

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County voters will cast ballots on a pair of bond proposals valued at $447 million meant for parks and roads improvements.

The first proposition is for voters to decide on whether or not to authorize the issuance of bonds not to exceed $412 million for roads, while the second is for issuing bonds not to exceed $35 million for parks and recreation.

Williamson County officials estimate that passage of the two bond propositions will not result in an increase in the county's debt service tax rate of $0.1675 per $100 of valuation, official stressed on the municipal website.

Judge Bill Gravel previously explained the need for the issuance of public debt for the dual projects: "Williamson County is the fifth fastest growing county in the State of Texas," he said in a recent prepared statement. "Through our long-range transportation plan, we have a path set to address that growth. Transportation safety and mobility, whether through roads or trails, is important to maintaining the outstanding quality of life we enjoy in Williamson County."

>>> Return to Patch for Tuesday's local election results: Subscribe to free News Alerts.

Officials provided further context in calling for the bonds measures:

• The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) projects that Williamson County's population will reach just under a million people by 2030.
• The Homebuilders Association of Central Texas' 2019 second quarter report found Williamson County was leading the tri-county area in new home starts with 6,930.
• Williamson County also is home to the Sonterra subdivision which has the highest number of annual closings among all subdivisions in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties.

On March 5, county commissioners appointed a Citizens Bond Committee that met six times from March through June to evaluate whether or not the county should consider bond elections for roads and parks, officials said. Ultimately, the committee unanimously approved recommending calling the election and suggested road projects totaling more than $573 million and parks projects totaling just over $67.5 million.

Recently, the heads of seven area chambers of commerce staged a joint press conference voicing support of the initiatives.

But not everyone is in favor of issuing more public debt to finance improvements. Already highly taxed — the county is now in the top 2.5 percent nationwide for high property taxes, a group of residents opposing the measure claimed — some have voiced opposition to the issuance of further public debt in the form of bonds.

Detractors point to a corporate-backed political action committee (PAC) that has raised more than $150,000 to promote the bonds, a sign to them the windfall stands to benefit corporate interests more than residents. Some critics wonder if the proposed bond packages are bloated as to allow for extra cash for future pet projects not requiring voter approval.

Critics of the measure also view the proposed projects benefiting from bonds-fueled revamping as extravagant and not priority projects.

Opponents of the county's bond proposals created a video outlining their objections:

Williamson County voters have previously approved the sale of bonds for roads and parks in 2000, 2006, and 2013. In those elections, county voters passed bond packages for roads that constructed a total of 165 projects adding 301 new capacity lane miles and completed nearly 551 lane miles. The park bonds secured 3,559.5 acres of parks and preserves, 37 miles of trails, and expanded facilities at the Expo Center and at county parks.

Voters will also be considering ten statewide constitutional amendments. Read more about the statewide amendments on Tuesday's ballot.

Information on the bond referendum is available on the Williamson County Website. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find a list of polling place wait times and directions from your current location in Williamson County. Residents also can visit the poll locator site and input their address to find their nearest voting location.

Williamson County residents can also find what will be on their local ballot.

There are seven forms of acceptable ID to vote:

• Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
• Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) issued by DPS.
• Texas Personal Idenfitication Card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
• Texas license to carry a handgun issued by DPS.
• U.S. military ID card containing the voter’s photo.
• U.S. citizenship certificate containing the person’s photo.
• U.S. passport.

Those without the above can use supporting documentation to gain entry into the voting booth:

• Valid voter registration certificate.
• Certified birth certificate (must be original).
• Copy of or original current utility bill.
• Copy of or original bank statement.
• Copy of or original government check.
• Copy of or original paycheck.
• Copy of or original government documentation with your name and an address (original required if it contains a photograph).