Voters to decide on $92 million Magnolia ISD bond referendum

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1 24 Community Impact Newspaper communityimpact.com Voters to decide on $92 million Magnolia ISD bond referendum By Liza Winkler For the first time since 2004, Montgomery County voters will have an opportunity to decide whether to approve a $92 million Magnolia ISD bond referendum with no proposed tax rate increase. The bond will have an impact on every campus, including safety, security, rehabilitating and renovating existing aging facilities and infrastructure, MISD Communications Director Denise Meyers said. Proposition 1 will allow voters to decide on $84 million for a new fifthand sixth-grade campus, renovations and expansions at existing schools, and the purchase of new technology, future school sites and 10 new buses, MISD board President Steve Crews said. Proposition 2 will allocate $8 million in bonds for a multipurpose conference center and installation of artificial turf on the district s two high school football fields, Crews said. The Facilities Planning Committee unanimously agreed the district needs to move forward now in order to meet the facility demands and enrollment growth projections, Meyers said. The projected enrollment growth in five years is 1,465 students with a 10-year projected enrollment growth of 3,521 students. During the Sept. 14 school board meeting, MISD Superintendent Todd Stephens said the district has already surpassed its enrollment projections for the -16 school year with an overall growth of just over 3 percent. As of Sept. 9, MISD has tallied an enrollment of 12,846 students, which is up from 12,458 in Our numbers continue to tick up all through the school year, Stephens said. We are watching that very closely. We have added staff to adjust for that. Even since the beginning of school this year, we ve added six additional staff positions based on growth to level out some of our classes in the high range. If voters approve the MISD bond, the first signs of major construction on the new projects will begin next summer, Meyers said. The $2.5 million Williams Elementary School expansion and the $2 million Magnolia Elementary School renovation are expected to wrap up in summer 2017, she said. The junior high school renovations, the new fifth- and sixth-grade campus next to Magnolia Junior High School and the addition of fifthgrade classes at the Bear Branch 6th Grade Campus are slated for completion in summer 2018, she said. The current Magnolia 6th Grade Campus will be repurposed for the On May 18, the Magnolia ISD board of trustees announced a $92 million bond referendum would be up for voter approval in November. During its Aug. 17 meeting, the board unanimously approved an order calling for the bond referendum to be placed on the Nov. 3 ballot. $60.5 million for a new fifth- and sixth-grade campus, the addition of fifth grade at the existing Bear Branch 6th Grade Campus and land for future school sites summer 2016-summer 2018 Proposition 1 ($84 million) $21.5 million million to renovate, expand and perform maintenance projects on existing campuses summer 2016-summer 2018 (summer 2017 for select projects) Proposition 2 ($8 million) $6 million for a 20,000-square-foot district conference center for large meetings, which will seat up to 1,000 people summer 2016-summer 2017 Source: Magnolia ISD/Community Impact Newspaper MISD bond $92 million district, Meyers said. The growth is happening on both sides of the district, which means the fifth- and sixth-grade campuses will alleviate the growth at the elementary school level, and there will be no boundary realignment. Children currently in the third grade will be the first class in the new fifth- and sixth-grade campuses. As part of Proposition 2, the $2 million artificial turf project for the $2 million to purchase 10 new buses, update the districtwide video security system and implement a fiber optic network for Internet and phone systems (during winter and spring school breaks) $2 million for artificial turf on both high school football fields to allow use by other MISD clubs and organizations and to increase water conservation summer 2016 (start and completion) high school fields could be in place by next summer, and the $6 million district conference center is expected to be complete in summer 2017, Meyers said. If passed in November, MISD will be able to pay off the $92 million bond in 25 years without a tax increase due to conservative budgeting and property value growth estimates, Meyers said.

2 Tomball Magnolia Edition October 25 IMPORTANT DATES Voter registration deadline: Oct. 5 First day of early voting: Oct. 19 Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked): Oct. 23 Last day of early voting: Oct. 30 ELECTION DAY: NOV. 3, BALLOT INFORMATION MONTGOMERY COUNTY MONTGOMERY COUNTY ROAD BOND PROPOSITION The issuance of $280 million in road bonds and MAGNOLIA ISD PROPOSITION 1 The issuance of $84 million in bonds for the construction, acquisition, renovation and equipment of school buildings in the district, for the purchase of technology, for the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings, for the purchase of new school buses and the levying of the tax in payment thereof. MAGNOLIA ISD PROPOSITION 2 The issuance of $8 million in bonds for the construction, acquisition, renovation and equipment of school buildings in the district, including a multipurpose conference center and artificial field turf for two high school competition football fields, for the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings and HARRIS COUNTY HARRIS COUNTY PROPOSITION 1 The issuance of a $700 million Harris County road improvement bond, of which $60 million shall be for subdivision street replacement and repair, and HARRIS COUNTY PROPOSITION 2 The issuance of a $60 million Harris County parks bond and the levying of the tax in payment thereof. HARRIS COUNTY PROPOSITION 3 The issuance of a $24 million Harris County veterinary public health adoption and care center bond and the levying of the tax in payment thereof. HARRIS COUNTY PROPOSITION 4 The issuance of a $64 million Harris County Flood Control District bond and the levying of the tax of the district in payment thereof. POLLING LOCATIONS Voters may vote at any early polling location within their respective county Oct HARRIS COUNTY EARLY VOTING Champion Forest Baptist Church 4840 Strack Road, Houston Champion Life Centre 3031 FM 2920, Spring Prairie View A&M University-Northwest 9449 Grant Road, Houston Tomball Public Works Building 501B James St., Tomball ELECTION DAY 0114 Samuel Matthews Park Community Center 0126 Rosehill Elementary School FM 2920, Tomball 0127 Tomball City Hall 401 Market St., Tomball 0173 The Brook Church Spring Cypress Road, Tomball 0173 The Brook Church 401 Market St., Tomball VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS* When voting in person, Texas voters are required to present one of seven specific forms of photo identification before they may cast their ballot. Texas driver s license Texas personal ID card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS U.S. military ID card with photo U.S. certificate of citizenship or U.S. certificate of naturalization showing photo U.S. passport book or card Election ID certificate (EIC) With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the identification must be current or have expired no more than 60 days before being presented for RESOURCES 0245 Kohrville Elementary School Woodland Shore Drive, Tomball 0485 Free Will Baptist Church Northpointe Blvd., Tomball 0529 First Baptist Church Tomball 401 Oxford St., Tomball 0726 Salem Lutheran Church Lutheran Church Road, Tomball 0915 Samuel Matthews Park Community Center 0916 Samuel Matthews Park Community Center 0982 Canyon Pointe Elementary School Northpointe Blvd., Tomball 1036 Free Will Baptist Church Northpointe Blvd., Tomball MONTGOMERY COUNTY EARLY VOTING Lone Star Community Center 2500 Lone Star Parkway, Montgomery voter qualification at the polling location. To obtain a free EIC, voters will need to show documents proving citizenship and identity. For most Texans, that means their birth certificate and two supporting documents, including: Social Security card Voter registration card School records Medicare or Medicaid card ID card issued by a government agency Expired Texas ID Compiled by Wendy Cawthon Magnolia Community Building 422 Melton St., Magnolia South County Community Building 2235 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands ELECTION DAY 13,28 Decker Prairie Community Building Decker Prairie Road, Tomball 18 Magnolia Community Building 422 Melton St., Magnolia 29 West Montgomery County Community Development Center Friendship Drive, Magnolia 30 Magnolia High School FM 1488, Magnolia 65 J. L. Lyon Elementary School Nichols Sawmill Road, Magnolia 74 Smith Elementary School Hardin Store Road, Magnolia 76, 89 Bear Branch Elementary School 8909 FM 1488, Magnolia *Information updated as of March 11. Texas voter photo ID requirements are subject to change. Visit for any updates.

3 26 Community Impact Newspaper communityimpact.com Voters to help shape state law By Caitlin Perrone When voters head to the polls Nov. 3, they will decide whether to amend the Texas Constitution to shift millions of dollars in funds to Texas roads, grant certain elected officials the ability to live outside of the state capital and increase the amount certain homeowners can save on property taxes. The seven proposed constitutional amendments were crafted through joint resolutions by the House and Senate during the previous legislative session. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ELECTION BALLOT LANGUAGE Proposition 1 (SJR 1): The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $15,000 to $25,000, providing for a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for those purposes on the homestead of an elderly or disabled person to reflect the increased exemption amount, authorizing the legislature to prohibit a political subdivision that has adopted an optional residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation from reducing the amount of or repealing the exemption, and prohibiting the enactment of a law that imposes a transfer tax on a transaction that conveys fee simple title to real property. Proposition 2 (HJR 75): The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran who died before the law authorizing a residence homestead exemption for such a veteran took effect. Proposition 3 (SJR 52): The constitutional amendment repealing the requirement that state officers elected by voters statewide reside in the state capital. Proposition 4 (HJR 73): The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit professional sports team charitable foundations to conduct charitable raffles. Proposition 5 (SJR 17): The constitutional amendment to authorize counties with a population of 7,500 or less to perform private road construction and maintenance. Proposition 6 (SJR 22): The constitutional amendment recognizing the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife conservation. Proposition 7 (SJR 5): The constitutional amendment dedicating certain sales and use tax revenue and motor vehicle sales, use, and rental tax revenue to the state highway fund to provide funding for nontolled roads and the reduction of certain transportationrelated debt. Find an extended version of this story at communityimpact.com/vote. Source: Texas Secretary of State/Community Impact Newspaper

4 Tomball Magnolia Edition October 27 Transportation funding back on the ballot for November election By Shawn Arrajj For the second straight year, the Texas Department of Transportation is turning to Texas voters for approval of a major boost in transportation funding. Proposition 7 will be on ballots statewide Nov. 3, giving voters say over a constitutional amendment that would provide $2.5 billion annually to the State Highway Fund in 2018, an amount that could rise to nearly $3 billion by Proposition 7 is tied to Senate Joint Resolution 5, which was authored by state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville. SJR 5 received bipartisan support in the Legislature, garnering a 28-2 approval in the Senate and a approval in the House. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill June 1. I am very excited that the House, Senate and governor were able to come together on SJR 5, which is critical for the future of transportation in our state, Nichols said. If passed by the voters, it would be the largest single increase in transportation funding in Texas history. Escalating needs Heading into the 2013 legislative session, TxDOT officials said maintaining current congestion levels would require an additional $5 billion in funding OTHER LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS Although Proposition 7 could provide more transportation funding than any other bills passed this session, legislators did find other revenue streams. Both the House and the Senate found a combined $650 MILLION A YEAR in the next biennium for the State Highway Fund through the appropriations process. The additional money comes from funds previously diverted from the SHF to the Department of Public Safety s budget. While the move resulted in a slimmer DPS budget, legislators said it should not negatively affect other areas of the state s budget. annually. The biggest chunk of TxDOT's $23 billion budget for the biennium 39 percent, or roughly $9 billion has been set aside for maintaining and replacing the existing system. If approved by voters, SJR 5 would start redirecting $2.5 billion of general sales tax revenue to the SHF starting Sept. 1, However, the money would only be redirected if sales tax revenue exceeds $28 billion. In 2019, a portion of motor vehicle sales tax would also start being redirected to the SHF as a result of SJR 5. After the first $5 billion in tax revenue is collected, 35 percent of all additional car sales tax revenue would go to the SHF. That 35 percent is expected to translate to roughly $500 million to $600 million for TxDOT in 2020, according to TxDOT estimates. According to the proposition, the transferred funds could only be used to pay debt, purchase right of way and to build, maintain and rehabilitate nontolled public roads. Continued funding Last November, voters passed Prop. 1, resulting in the transfer of $1.7 billion to the SHF from the Rainy Day fund in. That number could fall in 2016 due to the declining oil and gas market, officials said. Officials with Transportation Advocacy Group in Houston said they are still concerned about the overall lack of future transportation funding and have been vocally supportive of Prop. 7. Prop. 1 was a good start, but it didn t provide us with that longterm reliable source of transportation funding TxDOT was asking for, TAG Houston board member Jeff Collins said. Now we re seeing legislation that has the money in it. We re seeing a genuine effort to address the problem. Local projects Although no specific projects have yet been identified for Prop. 7, the distribution of Prop. 1 money provides some insight into the selection process. The Texas Transportation Commission, the governing body over TxDOT, decides which projects to fund based on conversations with local governments and metropolitan planning organizations. In February the TTC dedicated $278 million of the available $1.7 billion Prop. 1 funds to Greater Houston area projects. TxDOT worked closely with the Houston-Galveston Area Council in determining which projects to fund, H-GAC Transportation Director Alan Clark said. H-GAC did not have a detailed selection criteria for these projects, but we were guided by legislative IMPORTANT DATES Voter registration deadline: Oct. 5 First day of early voting: Oct. 19 Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked): Oct. 23 Last day of early voting: Oct. 30 ELECTION DAY: NOV. 3, BUDGETARY BOOST TXDOT TOTAL BUDGET ( ): $23 BILLION Roughly one-third of the budget for the Texas Department of Transportation for the next two years comes from the State Highway Fund, which would grow larger if voters approve Proposition 7 this November. 3.4% Surplus/Comprehensive Development Agreement fees 3.4% Texas Mobility Fund 8.8% Bond proceeds 10% Prop. 1 SJR 5 REVENUE INCREASES If passed by voters, SJR 5 would result in the following estimated revenue increases to the State Highway Fund: $2.5B % State Highway Fund 2.4% General revenue $2.92B % Federal reimbursements Method of finance Once transferred to the State Highway Fund, the Texas Transportation Commission can begin to dedicate it to pay debt, purchase right of way and work on public road projects. $3.04B 2021 The funding mechanisms of Senate Joint Resolution 5 have strings attached to them in the event of a downturn in the state economy. The dedication of funds from the general sales tax fund could be halted if sales tax revenue comes in lower than $28 billion in a fiscal year. However officials with Move Texas Forward do not expect revenues to fall that far. Sources: Texas Department of Transportation, Houston-Galveston Area Council/Community Impact Newspaper direction and direction from [TxDOT] to advance projects that could be ready for construction to begin in, Clark said. There are three Tomball and Magnolia area projects included on the H-GAC Transportation Improvement Program list released in early that could receive funding through Prop. 7 in the next few years. An estimated 200 projects totaling more than $3 billion are under review. The three projects are FM 2920 improvements from Business 249 to Willow Street, a widening of FM 1774 from FM 1488 to the Grimes County line and a widening of FM 1488 from FM 149 to Joseph Road.

5 Tomball Magnolia Edition October 29 COFFEE WITH IMPACT Transportation officials Local leaders discuss bonds, projects By Chris Shelton Local transportation organizations are gearing up for the Nov. 3 election with Proposition 7 and road bond proposals for both Harris and Montgomery counties on the ballot. Alan Clark is the director of transportation planning for the Houston-Galveston Area Council and has more than 30 years of transportation experience with the agency. Clark also worked as a transportation planner with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County and as a traffic-engineering consultant. Jeff Collins, a board member for the Transportation Advocacy Group, has more than 35 years of engineering experience and is the vice president of the public infrastructure division for LJA Engineering. Jesse Mendoza/Community Impact Newspaper Jeff Collins (left) and Alan Clark discussed the state of transportation in the Greater Houston area. How important are the Harris and Montgomery county road bonds to funding projects and accommodating growth in the Greater Houston area? Clark: The counties are having to rebuild their roads from rural highways with just a couple of open lanes and big open ditches into modern urban infrastructure that can accommodate pedestrians and cyclists as well as multilane traffic intersections. The roads need sophisticated traffic control and signage that county officials never dreamed about 20 years ago. So those bonds are extremely critical. Collins: Really, it s just growth. You put more cars on the road and then we know our issues with transit. The Greater Houston area is behind on the transit side so more cars are on the road, and the roads are congested. We re making the same kind of improvements to Harris County on Hwy. 290, and between Montgomery County and Harris County you ve got the Grand Parkway, which will be finished close to the end of the year. We have to pass the bonds because it s getting more congested. [With] transportation, we re still in a catchup game. Is raising the statewide and federal gas tax a feasible option to funding transportation? Collins: If you look at it from a common sense standpoint, what makes more sense than user pay? If you want to drive a big truck you ll be paying more. If you want to drive an electric vehicle, you ll be paying less. That makes sense. But I think, politically, that has gotten zero traction on the state level, and it s being debated nationally. Clark: Right now, there s just no political support for it. Someone told me, The quickest way to become an unelected official is to vote for a tax increase, especially in Texas. I m not sure there s not truth to that. The public is apparently not connecting the possible revenue that might be gathered to the solutions that they want. To me, that s a real problem for us. We need to make sure we re communicating how if we had the money that investment would be used. What will the completion of Grand Parkway segments F-1, F-2 and G mean for mobility in the area? Clark: Officially speaking, it is all still planned for implementation to be operational by the end of the calendar year. But last year, no one knew about the floods we d have in the spring [and] what happened on Memorial Day. I believe [project officials are] likely to be able to get it open from Hwy. 290 to I-45. I m less sure how much of the work between I-45 and Hwy. 59 will be open to traffic by the end of the year. The importance of it is we see the emergence of another major employment source on this corridor by I-45 in Springwoods Village. I think it will be a primary corridor for people going to work. It will connect a number of very important regional roadways. It will give us much greater flexibility if we have to do major evacuation. Just as Beltway 8 provides us flexibility, the Grand Parkway will as well. I think it s going to be full pretty soon after it opens.