By Edmond Ortiz
Local voters participating in the Nov. 3 elections will not only weigh federal, state and countywide contests, San Antonio and Hollywood Park voters will be asked to consider separate yet unique proposals.
San Antonio
The city of San Antonio has only one ballot measure, asking voters if they want to reauthorize the Pre-K 4 SA early childhood education program.
San Antonio voters are asked to reauthorize a sales tax of one-eighth of 1% to continue funding the program for a maximum 20-year period, starting in 2029.
Local voters first acted in 2012 to approve using a sales tax to begin funding Pre-K 4 SA, which extends prekindergarten services to 4-year-olds as a means of improving overall education outcomes.
According to an assessment of Pre-K 4 SA at its 12th year of operations, children who had participated in one or two years in the program were outperforming their peers statewide across categories such as cognitive, physical and social-emotional development, literacy, math and oral language skills.
Hollywood Park
The town of Hollywood Park is proposing to terminate its economic development corporation, and shift the sales tax that funds the EDC toward helping to support regular city road repairs and maintenance.
Hollywood Park residents last spring successfully petitioned placing onto the town’s Nov. 3 ballot a proposal to dissolve the EDC, and repurpose the dedicated sales tax revenues.
City leaders argued that, given Hollywood Park’s landlocked existence and limited avenues toward furthering economic development money, the North Side suburb could be better off redirecting a portion of its local sales tax from operating an EDC to something that impacts all residents – maintaining quality streets.
Hollywood Park’s neighbor, Hill Country Village, chose to eliminate its economic development corporation.
Polling details
Early voting will be held 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 19-23, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 24 and 26-30, and noon-6 p.m. Oct. 25 at 56 voting stations, including Brookhollow Library, 530 Heimer Road. Election Day polling locations will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
