Travis County voters appear to be headed toward a 5-cent property tax increase to fund some aspects of a University of Texas medical school. Central Health’s Proposition 1 is winning with 54 percent of the Early Vote. Supporters spent considerable time and effort touting the benefits of the medical school, while detractors railed about a planned 63 percent property tax increase.
One of the proposition’s major backers, Austin Senator Kirk Watson, told In Fact Daily this evening, “I’m very pleased with the early vote. To have 54 percent of the early vote is very gratifying. I’m also very pleased with the turnout today. I feel very positive that this is going to hold up.”
Voters also appear to be on the way to approving some major changes to Austin city government. If Election Day voters vote the same way as early voters did, Austin will be moving to a 10-1 single-member district plan. Both Prop. 3, the 10-1 plan and Prop. 4, the 8-2-1 plan won early voter approval but supporters of the 10-1 plan were more numerous than supporters of the 8-2-1 plan.
In the only contentious Travis County Commissioners race, former Pct. 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty has 41,226 or 50 percent of the early vote compared to Democrat Karen Huber’s 45.7 percent. The Libertarian Pat Dixon got about 4.1 percent of the early vote. It is possible that Huber will catch up with Daugherty since there were many more Election Day voters than early voters but the Early Vote bodes well for Daugherty.
Most of the city’s bond propositions seemed on their way to passage. The only proposition not winning in the Early Vote was Prop. 15 to fund low income housing.