Lovelady ISD Takes VATRE Questions to Community Ahead of Nov. 3 Vote

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

LOVELADY – With Election Day less than a month away, Lovelady Independent School District officials are taking their case for a voter-approved tax increase into the community, scheduling three meetings where residents can learn how the proposal works and ask questions before casting their ballots.

Lovelady ISD has called a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) for Tuesday, Nov. 3. The district describes the proposal as a 3-cent increase in its tax rate that would generate more than $400,000 in additional funding for the district.

The first community meeting will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Austonio Community Center. A second meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Weldon Community Center, followed by a final meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lovelady Old Gym.

Superintendent Wendy Tullos said the meetings are intended to give residents an opportunity to hear directly from district officials about the election rather than heading to the polls with unanswered questions.

“Lovelady ISD encourages voters to attend, ask questions, and become informed voters before Election Day,” Tullos said in information provided to The Messenger.

Among the topics district officials plan to address are how a VATRE works, what the proposed increase could mean for local taxpayers, homestead exemptions, historical Lovelady ISD tax rates and the additional state funding the district says would become available if voters approve the measure.

The official proposition asks voters to ratify an ad valorem tax rate of $0.6969 for Lovelady ISD.

While the proposed increase would come from local property taxes, the district is emphasizing that the local dollars would also trigger substantially more funding from the state.

In information released ahead of the meetings, Lovelady ISD says that for each $1 raised locally through the VATRE, the district would receive approximately $2.35 in additional state funding. Under the district’s calculation, that would turn $1 in additional local tax revenue into approximately $3.35 available for students.

District officials are expected to explain that funding mechanism in greater detail during the community meetings, along with how the additional money would affect Lovelady ISD.

The district is also seeking to address questions from older and disabled homeowners before the election. According to information released by LISD, homeowners age 65 or older or disabled who have an existing qualifying homestead tax ceiling would not see an increase in their school taxes as a result of the VATRE.

That distinction is one of several the district plans to discuss at the meetings, giving residents an opportunity to ask how the proposal would affect their individual circumstances.

The Nov. 3 election comes during an otherwise relatively quiet local election cycle in Houston County.

Federal and state races remain contested on the November ballot, but the county offices appearing on Houston County’s current sample ballot have only one candidate listed in each race. For Lovelady ISD voters, the VATRE stands out as the major local question they will be asked to decide.

The proposition will appear as Proposition A.

If approved, voters would authorize the district to collect the proposed tax rate and the additional maintenance and operations revenue associated with it. If voters reject the proposition, the district would not receive voter approval for the higher rate.

Rather than waiting until the final days before the election, district officials are encouraging residents on both sides of the issue to attend one of the three meetings and bring their questions.

The meetings begin Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Austonio, continue Monday, Oct. 12, in Weldon and conclude Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Lovelady Old Gym.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]