October 2015 City Connection
CITY
CONNECTION
Volume 12, Issue 1
October 2015
Calendar
October 2015
1 - Planning & Zoning Commission -
City Hall at 12:00 p.m.
6 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
7 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection
14 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste
15 - Planning & Zoning Commission -
City Hall at 5:30 p.m.
20 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
21 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection
27 - State of the City address - 5:30-7:30
at the Veterans Conference Center
28 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste
November 2015
3 - Election Day - returns at City Hall
from 7 p.m. (no Council Meeting)
4 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection
5 - Planning & Zoning Commission -
City Hall at 12:00 p. m.
11 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste
17 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
18 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection
19 - Planning & Zoning Commission -
City Hall at 5:30 p.m.
25 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste
Submit requests for Heavy Trash pick-up
before noon on Wednesday,
the week prior to pick-up,
at 294-5796.
Learn more about
City events at
www.huntsvilletx.gov
4B Proposition on 11/3/15 Ballot
Special Election on
Economic Development Corporation
The current sales tax rate in Huntsville is 8.25 cents on each dollar
of taxable sales, of which two cents is the City’s portion. Of those
two cents, half a cent (one-half of one percent) goes toward reducing
property taxes (as overwhelmingly approved by the city’s voters on
August 8, 1987).
On August 18, the City Council adopted an ordinance for a special
election to be held on November 3, 2015, to submit a proposition on
the question of allocating a portion of sales tax for a Type B
Economic Development Corporation for projects as allowed by
Chapter 505 of the Texas Local Government Code.
The State of Texas permits an election for voters to consider the use
of sales tax (in increments of one-eighth of one percent of the City’s
portion of total taxable sales from the amount collected in this way)
for economic development. The proposition is to use one-eighth of
one cent for economic development.
The ballot will read as below and voters will select For or Against the
proposition:
PROPOSITION - “Shall the City of Huntsville, Texas be authorized to
adopt a Type B Corporation Economic Development sales and use tax
at the rate of one-eighth of one percent with the proceeds to be used
to undertake projects as authorized and described in Chapter 505 of
the Texas Local Government Code, as amended from time to time,
including but not limited to projects for public parks, park facilities,
open space improvements, landscape of public facilities, and projects
related to recreational or community facilities, and projects to
promote new or expanded business enterprises that create or retain
primary jobs, and streets and roads, drainage, and related
improvements, demolition of existing structures, or land, buildings,
equipment, facilities that are related to any of the above projects and
any other projects that the board determines will promote new or
expanded business enterprises that create or retain jobs, and the
maintenance and operations expenses for any of the above described
projects and the adoption of an additional sales and use tax within
the City of three-eighths of one percent to be used to reduce the
property tax rate."
State legislation governs requirements for the wording of the ballot,
which has led to some confusion due to reading “...and the adoption
of an additional sales and use tax…” The item does not call for an
increase in the sales tax rate. If the proposition is adopted by the
voters, there will be absolutely no increase in the sales tax rate, and
if the proposition is not adopted, there will be no decrease in the
sales tax rate.
If the voters adopt the proposition, approximately $625,000 annually
will be allocated to be used only as allowed by the requirements of
the Texas Local Government Code in reference to Type B Economic
Development Corporation projects. The amount is directly tied to
local taxable sales.
CITY CONNECTION Page 2
November 3, 2015 General Election
Voting information, key dates
EARLY VOTING INFORMATION/VOTACION TEMPRANA POR ASPECTO PERSONAL
Early voting will be conducted at the following location:
Walker County Annex, 1301 Sam Houston Avenue, Suite 101
October 19th to October 30th, Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
EXCEPTIONS:
There will be two twelve hour days during early voting:
Tuesday, Oct. 20th and Tuesday, Oct. 27th – Early Voting Hours 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
CITY POLLING LOCATIONS/SITIOS DE VOTACION
Ward 1/Sala 1 –
Pct. 102 - Walker County Annex, 1301 Sam Houston Avenue Suite 101
Ward 2/Sala 2 –
Pct. 201 - Walker County Storm Shelter, 455 State Highway 75 North
Pct. 401 - University Heights Baptist Church, 2400 Sycamore Avenue
Ward 3/Sala 3 –
Pct. 101 - Walker County Annex, 1301 Sam Houston Avenue Suite 101
Pct. 301 - Huntsville ISD Transportation Building, 95 Martin Luther King Drive
Ward 4/Sala 4 –
Pct. 205 - Elkins Lake Conference Center, 634 Cherry Hills Drive
Pct. 206 - Huntsville Fire Station #1, 1987 Veterans Memorial Parkway
Pct. 401 - University Heights Baptist Church, 2400 Sycamore Avenue
(All Walker County polling locations are available at www.co.walker.tx.us
Map available at http://www.co.walker.tx.us/egov/docs/1377003789_401641.pdf)
Photo ID Required for Texas Voters
Voters are required to present one of the following forms of photo ID when voting in person:
(1) Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
(2) Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
(3) Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
(4) Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS
(5) United States military identification card containing your photograph
(6) United States citizenship certificate containing your photograph
(7) United States passport
**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 voter qualification at the polling place.**
The voters name on the identification presented must match or be “substantially similar” to the name on the official list of
registered voters (poll list).
Additional information, including material on further exemptions, is available through the Texas Secretary of State’s office
at www.votetexas.gov.
Dates to
Remember
for the
November 3, 2015
election
First day to apply
for ballot by mail
September 4
Last day to
register to vote or make
name/address changes
October 5
Early voting begins
October 19
Last day to apply for ballot
by mail (application
received, not postmarked)
October 23 (reg ABBM)
October 27 (FPCA)
Early voting ends
October 30
Election Day
November 3
7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
CITY CONNECTION Page 3
Identificación con Foto se Requiere para Votantes Tejanos
Ahora tiene que proporcionar una de las siguientes formas de identificación
con foto cuando vota en persona:
(1) Licencia de Conducir de Texas expedida por el Departamento de Seguridad Publica (DPS, según sus siglas en inglés)
(2) Cédula de Identificación Electoral de Texas expedida por DPS
(3) Tarjeta de Identificación Personal de Texas expedida por DPS
(4) Licencia de Texas para Portar un Arma de Fuego Oculta expedida por DPS
(5) Cédula de Identidad Militar de los Estados Unidos con fotografía de la persona
(6) Certificado de Ciudadanía Estadounidense con fotografía de la persona o
(7) Pasaporte de los Estados Unidos
**Con la excepción del certificado de ciudadanía estadounidense, la identificación deberá estar vigente; si no la está,
debe haberse vencido hace 60 días o menosen el momento de presentarla para calificar como votante en el sitio
electoral.**
El nombre del votante en la identificación presentada debe hacer juego o ser “considerablemente similar” al nombre en
la lista oficial del certificado de votantes (lista de encuesta).
Los votantes son animados a actualizar su registro de votante para reflejar los nombres en sus tarjetas de identidad
antes de la fecha límite del 7 de Octubre.
When is Election Day? (Cuando es el Dia de Eleccion?)
Walker County will hold a Joint Election including the City of Huntsville on Tuesday, November 3, 2015
from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m..
La Ciudad de Huntsville y el districto independiente escolar de Huntsville sostendran una eleccion unida el Martes 3 de Noviembre del
2015 de 7 a.m. to 7 p.m..
Am I registered to vote? (Estoy registrado para votar?)
In order to vote in this election, you must be a registered voter of the particular political subdivision.
The last day to register to vote for the November 3 election is OCTOBER 7, 2013.
If you are not sure if your voter registration is current you may call (936)436-4959 or visit:
https://team1.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/faces/Introduction.jsp.
(Para poder votar en esta eleccion tiene que ser un votante registrado de la division politica particular. Si no esta seguro si su
registracion para votar esta vigente puede llamar (936)436-4959 o visite nuestra pagina de web arriba.)
Where do I go for early voting? (A donde voy para votar temprano?)
There will be one Early Voting Polling Place for all entities:
Walker County Annex, 1301 Sam Houston Avenue, Suite 101, Huntsville, Texas.
(Habra solamente un lugar para votacion temprana para todas entetidades que sera localizada en el Walker County Annex.)
PLEASE CHECK YOUR BALLOT!
There are five entities holding elections on November 3, 2015, including Walker County (State Constitutional
Amendments), Walker County Hospital District, City of Huntsville, New Waverly ISD, and City of New Waverly (City of
Riverside and Huntsville ISD were able to cancel their elections; political party primaries are in the spring of 2016).
There are sixteen local voting precincts voting at thirteen local polling locations (on Election Day - all early voting is at
the Walker County Annex) resulting in a total of 24 different ballot styles for this election.
Please be sure you are in the right location and be sure you have received the correct ballot before you vote it. There is
information on all November 3, 2015 early voting and election day dates, times, and polling locations on the City
website at http://tx-huntsville.civicplus.com/395/ElectionsElecciones and also on the Walker County website at
http://www.co.walker.tx.us/egov/docs/1377003789_401641.pdf
The ballots have two sides, please read and vote both sides!
Annual State of the City Address
Come See What the New Year Holds!
Join your friends and neighbors, City Councilmembers, and City staff at the third annual City of
Huntsville State of the City Address! Held again in conjunction with the Huntsville -Walker
County Chamber of Commerce, it is a great opportunity to hear about what your City
accomplished since last September, and what the plans are for the upcoming fiscal year.
As always, the event is free and open to all. Beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Walker County
Veterans Conference Center, City staff will be on hand to share project updates, information on
services, show equipment and offer brochures and materials.
Mark your calendar and make plans to attend. You’ll be glad you did!
Below and right -
Scenes from the
2014 State of the
City address.
Are you subscribed to This Week in Huntsville?
Just go to the City’s web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, click on the blue Stay Notified button, enter a current email
address, and select “This Week in Huntsville” under the News Flash listings - it’s that
easy! You can also access the page by scanning the QR code to the right.
You’ll receive our free online publication twice a month. The newsletter includes news,
features, photos, event information, and more!
For questions or assistance signing up, contact the City Secretary’s office at (936) 291 -
5403.
State of the City Address
October 27
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Veteran’s Conference Center
445 State Highway 75 North