Nearly $10 billion in state funds and other important matters — as well as more trivial matters such as the archaic office of county animal hide inspectors — are at stake in an upcoming statewide election.

But with the race for the presidency dominating headlines and local candidates filing for office, 16 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution may be overlooked by many and decided by a relative handful of voters on Nov. 6.

Voting on constitutional amendments is set from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 6, a Saturday. In previous years, amendment elections took place in September.

The Republican and Democratic primary elections are set for March 4, 2008. The following races will appear on March’s ballot: District Judge, District Attorney, County Attorney, Sheriff, Tax Assessor-Collector, Precinct 1 Commissioner, Precinct 3 Commissioner, Precinct 1 Constable and Precinct 4 Constable. At least three candidates have filed by press time, all with the Republican party.

Cooke County Clerk Rebecca Lawson said Friday she ordered 14,000 ballots for November’s constitutional amendment election, though she expects a smaller crowd for this year’s vote.

A copy of the proposed amendments appeared on page 4 of the Sept. 11 Register.

In May, 2,092 Cooke County voters came out to decide on a single Texas constitutional amendment — that of providing school tax relief for elderly and disabled taxpayers. It passed statewide, and in the county with 87 percent of the vote.

In September 2005, nine amendments appeared on the ballot — including the controversial ban on same sex marriage — which passed statewide, and in Cooke County by 90 percent. Fully 6,272 county voters cast their ballots, which was a larger-than-usual turnout. Only about 3,000 voters in the county voted in 2003’s election, with a slew of 22 amendments including then-Proposition 12, which sought to limit lawsuits against doctors and health providers.

Merle Currie, a Republican party volunteer who with Bob Eggleston reviewed a sample ballot in Lawson’s office last week, said he hasn’t had time to review the pros and cons to this year’s set of proposed amendments, but said he is under the impression it’s mostly “pork spending” attempts which are confusing to the average voter.

“We both agreed that the average person will not have any idea what they’re talking about — and I don’t think there will be a lot of people who will waste their time and vote what they don’t know about,” Currie said, noting the relative complexity of the amendment’s wording. “We’re going to end up spending an awful lot of money on things I’m not sure we should be voting on.”

Highlights of the proposed amendments include:



-- Allowing cities of less than 10,000 people to freeze taxes on properties being rennovated as part of an official downtown revitalization effort.

-- Issuing $5 billion in highway improvement project bonds; $3 billion for cancer prevention and the creation of a state cancer research institute; $1 billion in bonds or state improvement projects and construction for various departments; $500 million in bonds to finance college loan programs; and $250 million for assistance to economically distressed areas to provide sewer and water supply services.

-- Denying bail to anyone who violates court orders or conditions of release in family violence or felony cases.

-- Exempting a single automobile (used for business and personal use) from property taxes per taxpayer.

-- Limiting the maximum appraised value of a home to either the most recent appraisal value ot 110 percent — whichever is cheaper — or a greater percentage determined by the legislature of the appraised value in the previous year.

-- Allowing governments that obtained land through eminent domain to sell the land back at the price paid by the government for the property.

-- Authorizing the legislature to eliminate homestead property taxes for military veterans who have 100 percent disabilities.

-- Making all major Texas Legislature session voting records public.

-- Allowing state judges to fulfill the rest of their terms once they reach mandatory retirement age.

-- Moving Angelo State University in San Angelo from the Texas State University System to the Texas Tech system.

-- Getting rid of all references to the county office of inspector of hides and animals — which is considered to be defunct.



For information on voting call the Cooke County Tax Assessor-Collector at 668-5425.



On the Net:

For detailed summaries of the above propositions see the Texas Legislative Council’s Web site at www.tlc.state.tx.us/pubsconamend/pubsconamend.html



Reporter Andy Hogue may be contacted at

andyhoguegdr[at]ntin.net