With both Williamson and Travis counties reporting final, unofficial election results, Leander ISD voters have approved both propositions pertaining to the district's financial outlook.
Proposition A, the Attendance Credit Election, received support from 64.4% of LISD voters, with 46,354 votes in favor.
Proposition B, the voter-approval tax rate election, passed by a narrower 52.17% margin. It received 38,338 votes in favor.
Results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit Community Impact's online Voter Guide for all local election results in your community.
UPDATED: Nov. 8, 11 p.m.
Leander ISD voters in Williamson and Travis counties are on track to pass both the ACE and VATRE propositions on the district’s Nov. 8 election ballot.
As of 10:53 p.m., early voting results show 65.65%, or 39,227 voters, are in favor of Proposition A, and 53.18%, or 32,478 voters, are in favor of Proposition B. The early voting results for Proposition B still show a close race with 46.82%, or 28,592 voters against the ballot item.
Results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit our online Voter Guide for all local election results in your community.
POSTED: Nov. 8, 7:44 p.m.
With early results from Travis and Williamson counties, Leander ISD voters have shown support for both of the district’s propositions, the ACE and the VATRE, on the Nov. 8 ballot.
As of 7:23 p.m., early voting results show 66.46%, or 33,943 voters, are in favor of Proposition A, and 53.99%, or 28,139 voters, are in favor of Proposition B. The early results for Proposition B show a closer race with 46.01%, or 23,984 voters against the ballot item.
Proposition A, or the ACE, asks voters to authorize the district to begin making recapture payments back to the state. If voters approve the ACE, LISD will have to make a recapture payment by Aug. 15, 2023, and it will likely be one lump sum payment, Director of Treasury and Debt Management Becky Garcia said in a late September interview.
In the event the ACE fails, LISD will be subject to a detachment of territory, which means the Texas Education Agency could take a portion of the district’s property value and give it to another district.
The TEA would take enough property value from LISD to make it so the district is no longer in recapture.
From then on, the district would not receive any revenue from the detached property value, and it will be given to another district instead. Once property is given to another district, it is irreversible, Director of Budget and Compliance Gina Mitschke said in a late September interview.
The VATRE, or Proposition B, would increase the M&O tax rate while lowering the I&S rate—essentially providing the district with more funds for operations, including employee salaries, insurance and benefits. If approved, the VATRE could provide LISD with roughly $32 million in revenue, which allows the district to fund approved salary increases and current programs.
If the VATRE fails, the district’s tax rate would be $1.1846 per $100 valuation, with the M&O portion falling to $0.8546. Under this scenario, the district would face a $35 million budget deficit, Mitschke said, which equates to funding necessary for 458 positions.
Results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit our online Voter Guide for all local election results in your community.
