Dear Neighbors
Today we launch a focused set of updates that look a one Frequently Asked Question each week. This week, the topic is "What's on the Ballot?"
90-second TIDBIT: For a little background on why we are voting, see this new video we just made!
What WCID questions will be decided Nov 3?
There will be three WCID propositions on the November ballot, plus the election of directors. All three propositions — A, B, and C — need to pass on November 3 for the plan to move forward and construction to start. A discussion of each proposition appears below. See the actual ballots here.
A. “Confirming the creation of Lake Dunlap Water Control and Improvement District”
A vote of "FOR" Proposition A is a vote to formally approve the creation of the Lake Dunlap WCID.
A vote against Proposition A is a vote to not have a WCID, and essentially a vote to kill the project entirely. Without a WCID, we cannot raise the money to pay for the restoration.
B. “An Operation and Maintenance Tax for the District not to Exceed 10 Cents per One Hundred Dollars ($100) Valuation of Taxable Property”
A vote of "FOR" Proposition B is a vote to set an upper limit on any taxes related to the operations and maintenance of the Lake Dunlap WCID.
This tax allows the WCID to pay its bills. They include business costs like audits, legal representation, and accounting, Districts are required to set an upper limit on these costs. To keep the operating costs of the Lake Dunlap WCID low, there are no staff contemplated, no salaries for directors, and no offices or buildings planned.
The operations and maintenance tax rate planned for our district is 3 cents per $100 valuation; that rate is included in the $0.20/$100 total tax estimate.
A vote against this proposal is a vote to not fund the district’s operations, which include things like a website, a phone, future staff, as well as accounting, audit, and legal services, among other usual kinds of business expenses.
C. “Approval of the Contract and the Levy of Taxes for Payment of Obligations under the Contract with Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, Including the Levy of Taxes to Make Payment on Bonds Issued by Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority in a Maximum Principal Amount of $40,000,000.”
A vote of "FOR" Proposition C is a vote to authorize the Lake Dunlap WCID to levy a tax to fund the restoration of Lake Dunlap, its dam, and its hydroelectric capacity.
The proposition asks the voters to approve an upper limit on borrowing of $40 million. Because we have not gotten bids on the construction yet, we have set a limit that we know will allow the dam to be built. The plan, embedded in our contract with the GBRA, is to only borrow exactly as much as is required.
A vote against this proposition is a vote to cripple the plan, and deprive it of the needed financial mechanism to fund the restoration of the lake.
Our best estimate today, with 100% of the engineering complete and a conservative estimate of the cost to restore the lake at $35 million, is that the contract tax rate will be about $0.17/$100 and the total tax (including WCID operations and maintenance) is estimated at $0.20/$100 if the project is awarded the zero percent financing from the Texas Water Control Board.
Board of Directors
The final item on the WCID portion of the ballot is the election of the Board of Directors. There are five directors running for five seats, and voters may vote for none, one, two, three, four, or all five directors. We, of course, recommend that voters confirm all the directors Nov 3.
#VoteABCNov3!!
Questions? Hit reply and send 'em along!
Sincerely,
Larry Johnson