Early voting began April 19 for local May 1 elections in Texas.
In Cy-Fair, ballots for each individual voter vary based on where that voter lives. Voters who live in the city of Jersey Village will vote on three contested races for Jersey Village City Council along with several ballot propositions. Residents in several Cy-Fair-area subdivisions will also find bond referendums on the ballot for utility districts that serve the area.
Jersey Village
The city of Jersey Village has its own elections this year, and voters can cast ballots at the Jersey Village Civic Center at 16327 Lakeview Drive, Jersey Village. Find a sample ballot here.
Residents will get the chance to vote on three City Council races, including Jersey Village mayor.
- Two candidates are running for Jersey Village mayor. Find a candidate Q&A here.
- Three candidates are running for Jersey Village City Council Place 2. Find a candidate Q&A here.
- Two candidates are running for Jersey Village City Council Place 3. Find a candidate Q&A here.
Four items amending the city charter will also be on the ballot.
- Proposition A would eliminate sections 1.08 and 1.09 from the charter, effectively banning the use of red-light cameras. The state banned the use of red-light cameras in 2019, and city officials halted all plans to reinstall them at that time.
- Proposition B would adjust a section of the charter about City Council terms to use gender-neutral language. It would also require a majority vote for a candidate to be elected to the council or as mayor.
- Proposition C would, when an ordinance is passed by the City Council, allow the city of post notice on the city's website in lieu of a newspaper.
- Proposition D would change various sections of the charter to use gender-neutral language.
Lastly, voters can vote on a proposition to create a new fire control, prevention and emergency medical services district as well as a proposition to continue to fund the city's existing crime control and prevention district.
Creating the fire district would entail ending the use of one-half of 1% of sales tax revenue for property tax relief and instead using that revenue to fund the fire district. That funding came to about $1.9 million in the city's 2019 budget, and a draft proposal for how that money would be spent by the new district can be found here.
Abolishing the property tax relief fund would not affect the city's property tax rate or the property tax bills of homeowners in the city, officials said.
The city's polling location will be open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. from April 19-23, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on April 24, and from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on April 26-27 and on Election Day May 1.
Utility districts
Several utility districts in the Cy-Fair area have bond referendums on the May 1 ballot.
Northwest Harris County MUD No. 5 has a $120 million referendum that would help maintain utility infrastructure—such as water plants, pump stations and wastewater treatment plants—as well as cover several new projects and keep up with growth.
The MUD has a separate ballot item for a $30 million referendum that would fund parks, median landscaping and an extensive trail system throughout the district's boundaries.
The MUD includes roughly 22 subdivisions around the Cy-Fair and Tomball areas, including Lakewood Oaks Estates, Rock Creek, Enclave at Northpointe and Hayden Lakes. Voters can cast ballots at any polling place in Harris County during the May 1 election as long as they provide proof of residence, such as a utility bill.
Harris County MUD No. 170—which covers an area around Fallbrook Drive and Jones Road that consists almost entirely of commercial properties and health care infrastructure—also has an $11.5 million bond referendum on the ballot for water, sanitary sewer and other uses.
Polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on April 19-24 and April 27. Polls are open from noon-7 p.m. on April 25 and from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. on April 26. Polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on election day, May 1.
