At the Super Neighborhood Alliance meeting on Oct. 15, member Doug provided an overview of several Texas constitutional amendments and urged attendees to review the full ballot before voting. Alliance leaders also reminded participants that multiple local contests and trustee slots are on the November ballot.

Doug said there are 17 constitutional amendments on this year’s statewide ballot and walked listeners through several that he said would be particularly relevant to residents: an amendment to prohibit a future state capital‑gains tax (referred to in discussion as Proposition 2), a bail-eligibility change allowing judges to deny bail in certain felony cases (Proposition 3 in Doug’s summary), a small-business personal‑property exemption (described as affecting businesses up to $250,000 in market value), and an increase in the school-homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 (referred to as Proposition 13).

Doug told the Alliance he used analysis from the Texas Public Policy Foundation (a link he posted in chat) and cautioned that several amendments would create constitutionally dedicated funds that bypass the normal annual appropriations process. “Many of the amendments create constitutionally dedicated funds that sit outside the state treasury, outside the normal appropriation process, and outside the constitutional spending cap,” he said, adding that once voters approve such amendments “the money flows automatically each year without a new vote of the legislature.”

Alliance leaders added local election reminders: the at‑large City Council Position 4 seat is on the ballot in November with a large field of candidates that could trigger a runoff, several school districts have trustee contests, and Houston Community College (Houston Community College) has trustee seats open.

Nut graf: Members urged neighbors to review the ballot and voter materials ahead of early and Election Day voting because the measures can change funding flows and have long-term effects on state budgeting. Doug and other participants shared a link to the Texas Policy Research Organization analysis for further reading.

Ending: The Alliance encouraged residents to participate in the midterm election and said members would continue to circulate information and links about local races and statewide propositions.