Published: October 28, 2009 07:10 am      

Early voting totals remain low with three days left

Turnout remains extremely low for the early voting period which ends this Friday.

According to information provided by Tina Leverett, Orange County Election Administrator, a total of 770 votes have been received since early voting began on Oct. 19.

A total of 13 ballots were received at the Orange County Courthouse on Monday bringing the six day total to 92 ballots.

In Bridge City, at the Public Works Building on 220 Nitsche, 12 ballots were tallied on Monday bringing the six day total to 67.

At the Raymond Gould Community Center in Vidor, a total of 26 ballots were received on Monday, bringing the six day total to 78 ballots received at this early voting site.

And in Mauriceville, at First Baptist Church on State Highway 12, a total of 49 ballots have been received through six days, including the eight submitted on Monday.

The bulk of the early voting has come through the U.S. Mail as the Orange County Election office has received a total of 484 ballots through Monday.

Part of the reason for the low turnout in early voting could be due to the lack of local issues on the Nov. 3 ballot while Texans will have to decide between 11 constitutional amendments on the ballot.

The sole local issue is a proposition in which Orange County Emergency Services District 4 will have enough voters in favor of adopting a local sales and use tax rate of 2 percent.

In a previous interview with The Orange Leader, Ted Williams, vice president of the Emergency Services District No 4, said he is hoping for support in his district for the adoption of a 2 percent raise in local sales and use tax. The district covers about 40 square miles in the Mauriceville and Gist area to the Newton County lines. Emergency personnel also backs up area fire departments in Orange County.

According to Williams, his district simply does not have enough money to pay expenses. The district supports two fire departments. They are located in McLewis and Mauriceville. Annually the district receives money from collected taxes in the amount of about $139,167. Each fire department is given $30,000 for expenses such as fuel. In addition, to the 60,000 paid to each, the fire district must also pay for insurance and maintenance on the equipment.

However, the Mauriceville Fire Department is in need of a new fire truck, which does not fit into the equation, Williams said.

Williams said the department is looking to spend about $251,000 which results in payments of $43,000 annually. He added they hope to pay off the debt within 5 years.

“There are many people around here on fixed incomes and a sales tax is the best way to go,” Williams said. “It is just more fair.”

Williams strongly added, property taxes will not be affected by the sales tax increase.

According to the Associated Press, 11 proposed constitutional amendments go before Texas voters in the Nov. 3 election. The proposals passed both chambers of the Legislature with a two-thirds vote and must win voter approval to be added to the state constitution. The propositions are:



PROPOSITION 1: Authorizes financing methods for municipalities and counties to acquire buffer zones or open spaces next to military bases. The proposal could prevent encroachment next to the base and allow construction of roads, utilities and other infrastructure to promote the mission of a military base.

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PROPOSITION 2: Allows the Legislature to provide for ad valorem taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of the property's value as a residence, not at the potentially higher commercial use value.

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PROPOSITION 3: Provides for uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for taxation. Texas lacks uniform standards, and proponents say this amendment would ensure that property in diverse parts of the state are valued using the same generally accepted practices.

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PROPOSITION 4: Establishes a national research university fund to help emerging research universities achieve national prominence as major research universities. Those pushing the proposal say it will provide funding similar to what elevated Texas A&M University and the University of Texas to Tier One status, providing jobs and stature or the state. Others question whether now is the time to spend such money.

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PROPOSITION 5: Permits the Texas Legislature to allow a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities. That means area appraisal boards can be consolidated if they choose.

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PROPOSITION 6: Authorizes the Veterans' Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in amounts equal to or less than amounts previously authorized. It would prevent the land board from continually having to seek legislative authorization.

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PROPOSITION 7: Allows an officer or enlisted member of the Texas State Guard or other state militia or military force to hold other civil offices. This would correct what some say is an oversight in the state constitution.

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PROPOSITION 8: Authorizes the state to contribute money, property and other resources to establish veterans hospital. It's designed to speed up efforts to open a federal Veterans Administration hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, where residents currently must travel to San Antonio to receive some VA hospital services.

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PROPOSITION 9: Protects the right of the public to access and use the public beaches bordering the seaward shore of the Gulf of Mexico. This would block private developers from restricting beach access to the public, but some say it could infringe on private property rights.

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PROPOSITION 10: Limits elected members of the governing boards of emergency services districts to terms no longer than four years.

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PROPOSITION 11: Prohibits governments from taking private property for private economic development to increase a tax base. It also limits the Legislature's power to grant eminent domain authority to a governmental entity.



For Newton County residents, including those in Deweyville, the early voting location is at the Deweyville Community Center on Spur 272. Registered voters in Newton County precincts 10, 11, 13 and 21 may vote at this location.