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Early voting starts Oct 18, do you know what's on the Austin ballot?
Voters will be voting on two propositions for the City of Austin special election on November 2. There will be a statewide election as well.
AUSTIN, Texas - Voters will be voting on two propositions for the City of Austin special election on November 2. There will be a statewide election as well. The statewide election will be addressing topics ranging from religious freedom to taxes to judicial eligibility.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
You can find voting locations, wait times, voter ID requirements, and your voter registration at VoteTravis.com.
What is on the Austin ballot?
Proposition A (Policing)
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Austinites set to vote on 'Make Austin Safe' ordinance
In a recently released fiscal analysis, the Chief Financial Officer of Austin broke down what it would take if voters said yes to the ordinance.
Prop A would require that:
- Austin always employs at least two sworn police officers for every 1,000 Austin residents.
- Police officers spend at least 35% of their time in community engagement.
- The City holds enough full-term police cadet classes until the department returns to the numbers of police officers prescribed in the 2019-2020 city budget.
- All sworn police officers spend an additional 40 hours each year in mandatory continuing education and in-service training (above the hours required by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement), with an emphasis on training outside a classroom setting intended to equip the officers to handle evolving, fluid, dangerous situations and enhance their own safety and that of the public.
- Increase pay or paid time off for police officers who speak one of the five most common non-English languages spoken in the city or who participate in a mentoring program for new police cadets; officers would also be eligible for added pay or paid time off every five years if they are in good standing.
Over the next five years, the estimated cost of Proposition A would be $271.5 million - $598.8 million. View a factsheet about Prop A – including the full ballot language here: English version. Spanish version.
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'No Way on Prop A' campaign counters movement to increase police funding
"Proposition A" was brought forward by the "Save Austin Now" group earlier this year. Now another group of activists is launching a campaign against that effort.
Proposition B (Parkland)
If Proposition B is passed, the city would look to sell, lease, or exchange nine acres of park property (known as Central Maintenance Complex located 2525 S. Lakeshore Blvd) in exchange for:
- at least 48 acres of waterfront land, and
- the cost of a new maintenance facility on other City-owned land to be determined, and
- partial or full funding for the removal of Fiesta Garden’s existing maintenance facility (located at 2202 Jesse E. Segovia Street) and restoration of that land to parkland.
Proposition B would start the process of making additional parkland available to city residents. The city will issue a solicitation for proposals and will select from proposals that meet the minimum criteria outlined in the ballot language.
View a factsheet about Prop B – including the full ballot language here: English version. Spanish version.
You can also see a sample ballot for this election on the website.
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MORE HEADLINES:
George Soros contributes $500,000 to Austin campaign opposing Prop A
Travis County shares early voting locations for November 2 election
Texas has a constitutional amendments election this year. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 4
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