Voters statewide approve $8.2 billion in bonds

On the community college level, voters in the Lone Star College System (formerly North Harris Montgomery Community College) approved a $420 million bond vote that will mean new satellite centers, new buildings on every campus and upgrades of infrastructure such as plumbing and parking garages. Nearby San Jacinto College passed a $295 million bond vote that will result in new science buildings, physical education facilities and campus libraries.

Not all the bond issues had happy endings, however, and the failure of some bond issues was blamed on many things: a sagging economy, increasing property taxes and higher food and gasoline prices.

In the Lumberton ISD, voters said no to a $28 million package that included a new elementary school and a new performing arts center. Vidor voters said no to a $60 million school bond package that included new classrooms so that portable buildings could be eliminated, a new administration building and artificial turf for the high school stadium. Big Spring ISD voters rejected a $34 million bond issue that would have allowed for the purchase of land for a new elementary school and would have paid for repairs to the high school. Rising property appraisals that lead to increased property taxes were named part of the reason for the Big Spring election failure.

Gregory-Portland voters, too, rejected a $30 million bond proposal to build a new elementary school and upgrade numerous existing facilities. And voters in the Athens school district turned down a $28.4 million bond proposal that would have provided for renovations and improvements including remodeling facilities, adding bus lanes, ensuring that facilities comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, paving sports field parking lots, upgrading technology infrastructure and addressing infrastructure needs.

In Abilene, voters said no to all four propositions totaling $83.55 million - that would have paid for renovations, made a middle school campus into a career and technology high school, provided for instruments and uniforms, security cameras at all campuses and technology infrastructure upgrades.

Municipal elections had their failures, too. In Pflugerville, voters approved only one of the three proposals on their ballot - saying yes to a $7 million library expansion while turning down proposals that would have built an $11 million city hall and a $16 million recreation center. On the other hand, 68 percent of the voters in Fort Worth approved a street bond issue valued at $150 million.

Bexar County voters had four proposals on their ballot, and approved all of them. Their "yes" votes extended the "visitor tax" that will provide revenue for river improvements, amateur athletic fields, a new performing arts center and an investment in the city's AT&T Center. And Fort Bend County is looking forward to building its new courthouse after voters approved a $74 million bond issue there.

For more information on Texas school district and municipal bond election results, click here.