LISD tax rate, state changes don't draw early voters
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

Election Nov. 6

Tuesday's election, which consists mostly of proposed changes to the state constitution, will be closely watched by voters in the Louise and Boling school districts.

Louise ISD voters will decide whether to accept a tax rate higher than the state's recommended rate, while there will be a new trustee chosen by Boling school district voters.

Early voting for the school districts and the state's legislative amendments began Oct. 22 and ended yesterday. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

On Election Day, voters will head to consolidated polling places: nine sites which will handle the county's 22 voting precincts. Those sites are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There are 16 constitutional propositions on the ballot, all of which are available online at the Texas Secretary of State's Web site, www.sos.state. tx.us.

"I'd really advise voters to educate themselves ahead of time on the amendments, so they vote the way they think is right," said Judy Owens, Wharton County Election Administrator.

Turnout, as expected, has been extremely low for the elections, which include no candidate races.

As of Thursday morning, there were 100 El Campo voters casting their marks in the constitutional election, with 24 in East Bernard, 91 in Wharton and 16 in Louise, for a total of 231 voters. Some 21 voters eligible to decide in the Louise ISD tax rollback election went to the polls early, while 30 cast their votes in the Boling ISD election.

She said the approximate 1 percent turnout for early voting in Wharton County mirrors the statewide turnout, but isn't sure what kind of turnout will occur Tuesday.

"I have no idea what to expect," Owens said. "We had 10 percent turn out in May, so I hope for at least that many."

Owens reminded voters they can use the Secretary of State's Web site to find their polling place, if they're unsure of the location or look at the polling site list in this edition of the paper.

In the Louise ISD election, voters will decide whether to let the district have a higher tax rate than the state prefers.

Although a tax rollback election, the rate LISD trustees approved is actually 16 cents per $100 valuation lower than last year's rate. Last year, the Louise tax rate was $1.47 per $100 valuation. The state requires a rate of $1.20, which triggered the rollback election, since the LISD board voted to set the rate at $1.31.

The rollback rate provides the district with about the same amount of tax revenue it spent the previous year. The budget, if the district used the staterecommended tax rate, would have remained at $4.2 million.

That would mean cuts in improvements, maintenance, bus purchases, teachers, sick days for bus drivers, the band budget and travel and supplies, LISD Superintendent Andy- Peters has said.

Consolidated Polling Locations

• Constitutional and Louise ISD: Precincts 5, 6 and 8.
El Campo Masonic Lodge, 1901 N. Mechanic.
• Constitutional and Louise ISD: Precincts 7 and 18.
Louise Fire Station on Third.
• Constitutional: Precincts 12, 16 and 17.
Church of Christ, 315 E. Calhoun, El Campo.
• Constitutional: Precincts 11, 20 and 21.
Precinct #4 County Barn, U.S. 59 and Wittig Road.
• Constitutional and Boling ISD: Precincts 1, 15 and 19.
Duncan Auditorium, 1924 N. Fulton, Wharton.
• Constitutional and Boling ISD: Precincts 3 and 14.
Boling Fire Station, 6735 FM 442.
• Constitutional: Precinct 4.
East Bernard Library, 746 Clubside Dr.
• Constitutional: Precincts 2 and 9.
Glen Flora Fire Station, 127 Bridge Ave., Glen Flora.
• Constitutional and Boling ISD: Precincts 10, 13 and 22.
Wharton High School, #1 Tiger Ave.