In Monday’s meeting of the Brown County Commissioners Court, the Commissioners canvassed the votes in Brown County on the recent election held on November 7. Brown County Elections Administrator Brenda Arp reported that a total of 4,281 persons voted, out of 24,538 registered voters, for a participation rate of 17.45%. This election had only proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, 14 total. Brown County voters approved all but one of the proposed amendments. Proposition 13, which would have raised the mandatory retirement age of state judges to 75 from the current age of 70, failed in Brown County and in the statewide vote total. All other amendments passed in Brown County and in the State totals. Details below.
Commissioners also approved the Brown County Holiday Schedule for 2024. After some discussion, and various suggestions on what days to take for holidays, a schedule of 15 holiday days was proposed and passed by a vote of 3-1. Commissioner Wayne Shaw, who favored a different schedule, cast the no vote. The schedule is shown below.
In other business:
*** Approval was given to a subdivision plat on County Road 333 for the Ledge Stone Ranch development, proposed by Price Keever of National Land Partners from Marble Falls, Texas.
*** Approval was given to a proposal from Sheriff Vance Hill for the County to join the 791 Purchasing Cooperative. According to Hill, this will allow the County to purchase prescription drugs for County Jail inmates from Diamond Pharmacy in Pennsylvania, which he believes will save money for the County.
*** Took no action on a burn ban, leaving the current No Burn Ban in place.
BROWN COUNTY ELECTION TOTALS
PROPOSITION ONE – Protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, etc.
For: 3,895 91.50%
Against: 362 8.5%
PROPOSITION TWO – Authorizing a local option to exempt from ad valorum taxes real estate property used to operate a child-care facility.
For: 2,547 61.48%
Against: 1,596 38.52%
PROPOSITION THREE – Prohibiting the imposition of an individual wealth or net worth tax.
For: 3,541 85.00%
Against: 625 15.00%
PROPOSITION FOUR – Increasing the homestead exemption on school district ad valorum taxes to $100,000 from the current $40,000.
For: 3,819 90.95%
Against: 380 9.05%
PROPOSITION FIVE – Providing money for research at certain state universities in Texas.
For: 2,205 53.45%
Against: 1,920 46.55%
PROPOSITION SIX – Creating a Texas water fund.
For: 3,090 74.05%
Against: 1,083 25.95%
PROPOSITION SEVEN – Creating a Texas energy fund.
For: 2,871 69.20%
Against: 1,278 30.80%
PROPOSITION EIGHT – Creating a broadband infrastructure fund.
For: 2,573 62.26%
Against: 1,560 37.74%
PROPOSITION NINE – Authorizing a cost-of-living raise to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
For: 3,453 81.65%
Against: 776 18.35%
PROPOSITION TEN – Authorizing an exemption from ad valorum taxation for certain medical equipment or inventory.
For: 2,347 57.15%
Against: 1,760 42.85%
PROPOSITION ELEVEN – Authorizing bonds in El Paso County for parks and recreational facilities
For: 2,128 54.34%
Against: 1,788 45.66%
PROPOSITION TWELVE – Providing for the abolition of the office of county treasurer in Galveston County
For: 2,207 59.42%
Against: 1,507 40.58 %
PROPOSITION THIRTEEN – To increase the mandatory retirement age for state judges to 75 from the current age of 70.
For: 1,569 38.44%
Against: 2,513 61.56%
PROPOSITION FOURTEEN – To provide a fund for the creation and improvement of state parks.
For: 2,944 71.21%
Against: 1,190 28.79%
BROWN COUNTY 2024 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
New Year’s Day Monday, January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday, January 15
President’s Day Monday, February 19
Good Friday Friday, March 29
Memorial Day Monday, May 27
Juneteenth Independence Day Wednesday, June 19
Independence Day Thursday, July 4
Friday, July 5
Labor Day Monday, September 2
Columbus Day Monday, October 14
Veterans Day Monday, November 11
Thanksgiving Thursday, November 28
Friday, November 29
Christmas Eve Tuesday, December 24
Christmas Day Wednesday, December 25