Early voting is underway in the Barbers Hill ISD School Funding Election, also known as a voter approval tax rate election (VATRE). Election Day is Nov. 7.
This election follows months of planning that led to the realization that the growth in district property values has not led to additional revenue growth due to the Robin Hood law which was designed to take any excess revenue to be distributed among poorer school districts.
Voters should vote yes, in favor of the financial program.
The School Funding Election would lower the district tax rate by .0521 cents, which would make it the lowest in 32 years. This would lower district taxes on $400,000 houses by $807 after all exemptions are applied and ensure that all voters who qualify as disabled or 65 years or older would only see their taxes go down as their taxes would be frozen.
Regardless of the outcome of the election, the district’s tax rate will be $1.1024.
Additionally, the tax decrease would allow our district to receive all eight Golden Pennies: the first eight pennies above the dollar for maintenance and operations spending that are not subject to recapture to wealth equalization programs such as Robin Hood. This would allow up to $1.4 million for continued spending on state-leading salaries and programs.
Without this tax decrease, the district would continue to lose even more money to wealth equalization programs such as Robin Hood, which has already taken $293 million. This would mean the loss of the diverse selection of CTE programs offered, school clubs, and amazing faculty only affordable with the additional $1.4 million dollars, decreasing the quality of education of the district.
It is more critical than ever that everyone submits their votes, from high school seniors to the elderly. If the community wishes to keep Barbers Hill… Barbers Hill, they can do so by submitting their votes at the following polling locations: American Legion Hall 1704 South Main Street, Anahuac; Mark Huddleston Community Building 924 State Highway 124, Winnie; Barbers Hill ISD, Community Election Center 9650 Eagle Drive, Entrance 32, Mont Belvieu; West Side Complex 8138 FM 3246, Baytown; or JP 6 Courtroom 7711 Highway 146, Baytown.
