3-part bond, valued at $30M, to go before HISD voters May 2

By Jeff Berger

Anvil Herald Publisher

While there are no contested trustee races in the upcoming May 2 Hondo ISD elections, voting will be a priority for HISD residents, who will have the opportunity to vote on three proposed bond projects.

The total of the three proposals is $30 million, with $25 million earmarked for Proposition A, which will include renovations and improvements for all four district campuses.

Proposition B includes $3 million for renovations at the HHS baseball and softball fields. Proposition C, which is $2 million, will include renovations to the home side restrooms at Barry Field, and demolition and reconstruction of the visitor side restrooms at the facility.

The Hondo bond committee, which has met about 10 times over the past six months to discuss the various proposals to put before the voters, has determined that passage of the three bonds will necessitate a 2¢ tax rate increase. On a home with taxable value at the HISD average of $215,000, the monthly tax increase will be $1.25 per residence, or $15 annually. The calculations take into consideration the $140,000 homestead exemption.

HISD residents age 65 and older with an application over-65 exemption have had their tax bills frozen. Future property appraisal increases or tax rate increases will not impact those citizens’ property tax bills.

The current tax rate is 93¢ per $100 valuation

The bond committee has provided a list of proposed projects for each of the three propositions.

Proposition A

• Security vestibules at Hondo High School and Woolls Intermediate School. (Meyer Elementary and McDowell Middle School both had security vestibules added after the 2015 bond election.);

• Renovation of culinary arts classrooms at HHS;

• Restroom renovations at all four campuses;

• Expansion of cafeteria kitchen at Meyer;

• Boys’ and girls’ locker room renovations at McDowell;

• Replacement of district-wide intercom system;

• Replacement of district-wide HVAC units 15 years and older;

• TxDOT garage renovations for district CTE programs;

• Regrading and repaving of districtwide parking lots.

Proposition B

• Baseball and softball field renovations. This will include grandstands, dugouts and concession stands at both Bridges Field and Martin Field, but will not include installation of artificial turf at either facility.

Proposition C

• Renovations to the home restrooms at Barry Field, to include expansion of the women’s restroom building and inclusion of a men’s room. The existing men’s room under the grandstands would then be closed.

• Demolition and recon-struction of visitor side restrooms at Barry Field.

The deadline to register to vote in the May 2 election is Thursday, April 2. Early voting is scheduled for April 20-28.