Voters will see 10 proposed constitutional amendments on their ballots for the Nov. 5 election, including propositions on retiring law enforcement animals, school fund increases, property damage and taxes in occurrence with disasters.

With early voting begun this week, community members from Jefferson County can get a look at the ballot items and a breakdown of terms and definitions ahead of poll openings.

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment Election — 10 items.

Proposition 1: Permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time.

• Proposition 2: Providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $200 million to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas.
  • Projects include water supply and sewer service
  • Additional general obligation bonds authorized by this section may be issued as bonds, notes or other obligations as permitted by law and shall be sold in forms and denominations on terms, at times, in the manner, at places, and installments, as determined by the Texas Water Development Board. Rates of interest to be determined by the board.
• Proposition 3: Authorizing the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from an ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by disaster.
  • Ad valorem taxation — means “According to value,” a tax based on the assessed value of an item or property.
  • Property must be located in an area declared by the governor to be a disaster area following the disaster.
  • The legislature will determine the amount of exemption and duration.
• Proposition 4: Prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual’s share of partnership and unincorporated association income.
  • Unincorporated association — a group of people who act together with mutual consent for a common lawful purpose (profit or not).
  • The Legislature may provide taxation of intangible property (property that does not derive its value from physical attributes) and impose occupation taxes on natural person and corporation (non-municipal) doing any business in the state.
  • Mechanical and agricultural pursuits shall never be required to pay an occupational tax.
• Proposition 5: Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the appropriation of the net revenue received from the imposition of state sales and use taxes on sporting goods to the Texas Wildlife Department and Texas Historical Commission.
  • Sporting goods — an item tangible personal property designed and sold for use in a sport or sporting activity excluding apparel and footwear. Excludes board games, electronic games, etc.
  • Not to increase the rate of the state sales and use taxes.
• Proposition 6: Authorizing the legislature to increase by the maximum bond amount (not to exceed $6 billion) authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institution of Texas.
  • Texas Public Finance Authority may not issue more than $300 million in bonds in a year.
• Proposition 7: Allowing increased distributions to the available school fund.
  • State Board of Education, General Land Office or another entity may in its sole discretion distribute to the available school fund each year revenue derived from the land or properties.
  • Not to exceed $600 million by each entity each year.
• Proposition 8: Providing for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation and flood control projects.
  • Flood Infrastructure Fund created as a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund
  • Funds accumulated may be administered and used without appropriation by the Texas Water Development Board or its successor in function to provide financing for a drainage, flood mitigation or flood control projects
    • Projects include planning and design activities, regulatory approval and structural flood mitigation and drainage,
  • Proposition 9: Authorizing the legislature to exempt ad valorem taxation precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state.
    • Ad valorem taxation —means “According to value,” a tax based on the assessed value of an item or property
    • Definitions of “precious metal” and “precious metal depository” to be defined by the legislature for this section.
  • Proposition 10: Allow the transfer of a law enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances.

For more information, visit https://www.jeffersonelections.com/ or stop by your local county courthouse located at 1085 Pearl Street in Beaumont.