Written by Melody Nowowiejski – Voting rights have seen considerable progress since the inception of the United States, but some residents of Brown County may be thinking wistfully of the time when property taxes could only be voted in by those who would be footing the bill. In one of the more contentious elections in recent memory, residents of Brown, Comanche and Erath Counties will go to the polls beginning today to decide whether they wish to be annexed into the Ranger College district.
Ranger College has been working since the spring to get the annexation item on the November ballot in the three counties, and now to rally voters for their cause. The College hopes to expand their presence in the area as well as revenue from property taxes to support both the expansion and their current campus in Eastland County.
The College plans to offer a greater number of degrees, dual-credit courses and training for employees of local businesses in any counties that approve the annexation. By voting to be in-district, citizens who choose to attend Ranger College would enjoy an approximate 1/3 discount for tuition on all credit hours, from $151 per credit hour to $103. Proponents see this as a boon for the community, a chance to raise the level of education of their citizens, at a cost much more attainable for kids fresh out of high school, single moms or anyone else looking to improve their lives and establish a solid career.
According to a FAQ webpage set up for the election, the College has grown from less than 700 students eight years ago, to 2500 enrolled in 2017, either as dual-credit high school students or regular students pursuing a degree. The number of school districts served by the College has, in the same time frame, increased from three to 41, including the three Counties currently considering the annexation measure. The budget has also grown with the College, from $6.1 million in 2009 to an even $20 million this year, supported in part by an increased 2017 property tax in Ranger ISD of almost double the 2016 rate.
This rate, of $0.43 per $100 assessed property value, is the rate that will appear on the ballot for voters as they reach the polls today, and remains one of the many divisive portions of the annexation proposal. Ranger College, in several town-hall meetings, mailed flyers and on their website, has assured voters the rate for 2019, for which the three counties are voting, will be a considerably less $0.11/$100 of property value. Ranger’s Board of Directors will be responsible for enacting this new rate for any joining counties in August of 2018.
Opponents of the measure site a number of issues, including one many residents have pointed out as being particularly unsettling: the fact that no one in the concerned counties seems to have requested or invited this annexation, leaving citizens to wonder what the College’s motives truly are. Several have suggested an inability to realize the $10 million bond, approved in 2016, by taxing Ranger ISD properties alone. Other concerns include rumors questioning the quality of education students receive at the College, the integrity of the current leadership and whether the $0.11 rate is likely to increase in the future, as it did for Ranger ISD last year.
An open letter by Brownwood’s Mayor, Stephen Haynes, currently being circulated on social media, succinctly asks two questions that many voters have been voicing: how will the funds raised by this new tax be used, and will the funds stay local? These are questions Ranger has not been able to answer satisfactorily for opponents of the annexation. Additionally, in a move certainly not advantageous for the annexation cause, Brownwood’s City Council recently approved a tax rate and utilities fees increase for the new budget year, which could push fence-sitters over into the “no new taxes” camp.
Naturally, a large number of those opposed are Brownwood property owners, faced with at least one tax increase already, and fighting desperately against a second. But even those who don’t own property could face increased costs as landlords scramble to cover the new tax rate on one or multiple properties if the annexation is passed.
Despite the lack of attention to anything except the annexation issue, there are several other items on the ballot. Texans across the state will vote on seven proposed constitutional amendments, ranging from ad valorem tax exemptions to allowing credit unions to award prizes to customers based on chance or luck.
Early voting for Brown County begins today and will run every weekday through November 1st from 8-5 at the Elections Office, located at 615 Fisk Ave. Early voting will continue on Thursday and Friday, November 2nd and 3rd, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The final day for voting is Election Day, Tuesday November 7th.
