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City of San Antonio Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project & Sales Tax, Proposition 1 (May 2015)
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| Measure info Amount: 0.125% |
An Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project & Sales Tax Proposition was on the ballot for San Antonio voters in Bexar County, Texas, on May 9, 2015. It was approved.
Proposition 1 authorized the city to impose a 0.125 percent city sales tax for five years. Revenue from the sales tax would be used to finance, fully develop and implement the "Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project" to preserve open space and protect the Edwards Aquifer water supply. Proposition 1 was designed to earmark $100 million of sales tax revenue for water protection and land preservation to be spent in the following way:[1]
- $90 million to purchase and protect land in "the aquifer’s sensitive Recharge and Contributing Zones."
- $10 million to create new protection zones within urban areas of the county with the intention of safeguarding the city's drinking water.
Of the total revenue provided by the sales tax, $80 million of it was set to be used for the city's Parks Development and Expansion Venue Project. Voters authorized this use by approving Proposition 2.
Election results
| San Antonio, Proposition 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 65,361 | 78.14% | ||
| No | 18,283 | 21.86% | ||
- Election results from Bexar County Elections Office
Background
The eighth-of-a-cent sales tax was first approved by San Antonio voters in 2000. It was re-approved twice, in 2005 and 2010.[2]
Text of measure
Ballot question
The question on the ballot:[3]
| “ |
Shall the City Council of the City of San Antonio, Texas, be authorized to implement Resolution No. 2015-01-29-0005R (the "Venue Projects Resolution"), which provides for the planning, acquisition, establishment, development, construction, monitoring, maintenance or renovation of, and method of financing for the "Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project," which includes the acquisition of property for a conservation easement or open-space preservation program and the development of a recharge, recharge area or recharge feature protection program intended to protect water in the Edwards Aquifer, and to impose a sales and use tax at the rate of one-eighth of one percent (1 /8 of 1%) (a portion of which tax shall be shared with and used for the "Parks Development and Expansion Venue Project" if such venue project is also approved by the voters) for the purpose of financing the "Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project" in an amount not to exceed $100 million (including costs of issuance and interest on bonds or other obligations, if any) to begin upon the full collection of sales and use tax authorized by the voters on November 2, 2010 for the Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project and the Parks and Development and Expansion Venue Project?[4] |
” |
Reports and analysis
Voter information guide
The following summary of this measure was provided on the city's voter information guide:[1]
| “ |
Proposition No. 1 would authorize the City of San Antonio to protect the quality and quantity of water in the Edwards Aquifer through the protection of land over the aquifer’s sensitive Recharge and Contributing Zones. The sales tax would raise $100 million: $90 million of which would enable the City to continue its existing conservation easement and land purchase program, which has protected more than 133,000 acres; and $10 million to incorporate new recharge protection projects within urbanized areas of Bexar County for additional safeguarding of the City’s primary source of drinking water.[4] |
” |
| —San Antonio City[1] | ||
Other elections
Related measures
See also
- May 9, 2015 ballot measures in Texas
- Bexar County, Texas ballot measures
- Local sales tax on the ballot
- Local water on the ballot
External links
Additional reading
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 San Antonio City Government website, "Voter Information Guide for Election on May 9, 2015," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ San Antonio Business Journal, "City Council approves placing aquifer, linear creek funding proposals on May ballot," January 29, 2015
- ↑ San Antonio City Government website, "City Ordinance calling for Propositions 1 and 2," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
