Constitutional amendment puts El Paso County parks financing to statewide vote
Published: Sat, 10/14/23
Constitutional amendment puts El Paso County parks financing to statewide vote
Proposition 11 would authorize water districts in El Paso County to hold bond elections for parks and recreation improvements.
Robert Corby, Wikimedia Commons
Editor’s note: Voters have amended the Texas Constitution 517 times since 1876, and they will get the chance again Nov. 7. This is the 11th of a series of Tribune-Herald articles examining the intention and implications of the 14 amendments on the ballot.
A state constitutional amendment on the Nov. 7 ballot would finance recreation projects in El Paso County that most Texans will never see, much less pay for.
Proposition 11 would allow water districts in unincorporated portions of that county to put parks and recreation bonds on ballots there.
The measure, authored by Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, may be hyper-local, but granting that authority requires a statewide vote under the Texas Constitution. And with the challenges of running a campaign in a state of some 30 million people, its sponsors are not taking success for granted.
State. Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, who sponsored the enabling legislation for Proposition 11 in the House of Representatives, said some Texans may vote against the measure out of a general anti-tax sentiment, even if it has no effect on them.
"I certainly have that concern," Moody said.
"Constitutional amendments typically have a relatively high level of success, but this is a constitutional amendment about issuing debt," he said. "For everybody outside El Paso, I hope it's something they can support."
Senate Joint Resolution 32, which puts Proposition 11 on the Nov. 7 ballot, passed the Senate 28-3 and the House 111-34. Of the Waco delegation, Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson, R-Waco, voted for the measure, while Rep. Angelia Orr, R-Hill County, opposed it. State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, voted yes.
The ballot item reads as follows: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.”
If it passes, El Paso County would have the same authority granted by a constitutional amendment in 2003 to water districts in other Texas counties: Bastrop, Bexar, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Tarrant, Travis, Waller and Williamson. That amendment passed with 56% of the statewide vote.
Many of those counties have numerous utility districts operating in the unincorporated areas, providing municipal services cities traditionally provide. For example, Fort Bend County has more than 100 municipal utility districts.
El Paso County's website shows only seven water districts. County officials did not respond to inquiries this past week seeking information on what projects are being considered.
Proposition 11 would include El Paso County on the list of Texas counties that allow their conservation reclamation districts to issue bonds to develop recreational facilities. These bonds would be supported by property taxes, but could only be authorized if voters of the district approve them.