Published: October 26, 2009 11:35 pm      

Meeting set on election proposals

HUNTSVILLE — Registered voters in the city of Huntsville can learn more about items on the Nov. 3 ballot during a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. today at the Walker Education Center on 19th Street.

City Council members Mac Woodward and Lanny Ray will host the meeting to answer any questions about the $3.5 million bond election to fund the proposed renovation and expansion project for the Huntsville Public Library, a proposed exchange of parkland and the proposed 10 amendments to the existing City Charter of the City of Huntsville.

Ann Holder, the chairman of the Huntsville Public Library Feasibility Committee, will hold a brief presentation on the library.

“We just want to get the information out and answer questions or if anybody has any concerns or if we can clarify anything on the three items that are on the ballot — the bond issue, parkland exchange and 10 proposed charter amendments,” Woodward said.

“From a city standpoint, we will answer any questions we can,” Woodward said. “We are not advocating one way or the other just than informing the people what their concerns are.

“I’ve had quite a few questions on the charter amendments. Some have a little bit of confusion, some are questioning the reason for them. I think we can answer those without showing support one way or the other.

“They’re out there for the people to vote on. They’re out there for people to make a decision on and people should have the opportunity to do that.”

Early voting in person continues today at the Walker County Annex on Sam Houston Avenue on the three items on one ballot and the 11 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution on a second ballot.

Early voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday at the annex.

Early voting resumed Monday with 56 ballots cast, bringing the six-day total to 397.

There were 341 ballots cast the first five days of voting.

Sample ballots of the state’s proposed amendments and the City of Huntsville’s proposals can be found at:

www.co.walker.tx.us/departments/TaxCollector/Nov3ElecInfo.htm

If Proposition 1 on the city ballot is approved, the bond election would pay for the renovation and expansion of the 42-year-old public library from 7,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet in addition to 81 parking spaces on 1.774 acres.

The 22,000 square feet includes a new building shell covering 5,400 square feet and a new building completed covering 9,600 square feet.

The expansion includes a 1,751 square-foot meeting room; 1,804 square-foot children’s room; 1,291 square-foot genealogy room; and archive storage, 221 square feet.

Proposition 2 would authorize the Huntsville City Council to exchange 1.45 acres of Eastham-Thomason Park property from the City of Huntsville for a 0.548-acre parcel and a 0.752-acre parcel, both belonging to TDCJ, to clarify the boundary of overlay with the 0.548- and 0.752-acre parcels becoming part of the City of Huntsville Eastham-Thomason Park property.

The ballot language for the charter amendments — vote for or against — includes:

• 1, Shall Article VI, Section 6.01 of the City Charter be amended to provide that the regular city general elections shall be moved from the uniform election date in May to the uniform election date in November to be effective Jan. 1, 2010?

• 2, Shall Article IV, Section 4.07 of the City Charter be amended to provide that special meetings of the City Council are allowed to be held at locations other than City Hall?

• 3, Shall Article IV, Section 4.13 of the City Charter be amended to provide that no ordinance shall be finally passed until it has been considered and favorably acted on by the council at two separate council meetings and providing for exceptions to the requirement of two separate readings?

• 4, Shall Article VII, Section 7.01 of the City Charter be amended to change the required amount of signatures to submit petitions for initiative by the people of the city to direct legislation to not less than

1,000 of the qualified voters of the city?

• 5, Shall Article VII, Section 7.02 of the City Charter be amended to change the required amount of signatures to submit petitions for referendum by the people of the city to approve or reject at the polls

legislation enacted by the council to not less than 1,000 of the qualified voters of the city?

• 6, Shall Article VII, Section 7.07 of the City Charter be amended to change the required amount of signatures to submit petitions for recall any elected officer of the City of Huntsville to not less than 1,000 of the qualified voters of the city?

• 7, Shall the first paragraph of Article XI, Section 11.07 of the City Charter be amended by deleting the

language "and shall be made only upon the recommendation of the City Manager"?

• 8, Shall Article XI, Section 11.13 of the City Charter be amended to allow for the sale of bonds without the requirement for publication or public sale, and to be sold in accordance with state law as amended?

• 9, Shall Article XI of the City Charter be amended by adding a new section 11.17 to provide for the limiting of the issuance of new debt by providing that any proposed issuance of new debt that exceeds .002 (two-tenths of one percent) of the net taxable value as certified by the Walker County Appraisal District applicable to the city tax roll for the fiscal year in which the funds are approved shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the City of Huntsville with exceptions?

• 10, Shall Article XII of the City Charter be amended by adding a new section 12.03 that provides that any tax abatement or tax rebate shall be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the council qualified and serving?