Texas voters called to exercise their civic duty of voting on Tuesday

Every couple of years, the Texas Legislature goes messing with the state constitution, passing proposed amendments that they want voters to approve.

A few are worthwhile or even necessary. Many get added to the constitution simply because a minuscule number of voters take the time and trouble to get informed and cast a ballot.

This year, lawmakers have presented 11 proposed amendments, and the last chance for voters to have their say is Tuesday.

But this Election Day, voters in Fort Worth city limits and the Arlington school district will also have other important decisions to make.

In Fort Worth, the half-cent tax that funds the Crime Control Prevention District is up for a five-year renewal. The tax, which brings in about $50 million a year, helps fund a range of safety measures, including school campus officers, gang unit officers, neighborhood patrol officers, equipment for Code Blue volunteers, graffiti abatement and police cars.

Voters shouldn’t get complacent over the tax, the services it makes possible or the way in which the money is spent. The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends voting for continuing the Fort Worth crime tax another five years.

The Arlington school district is seeking a $197.5 million bond package to replace computers and buses, repair and improve facilities and build a new elementary school. The Editorial Board recommends voting for the bond package.

Here are the Editorial Board’s recommendations on the constitutional amendments:

Proposition 1: Allowing cities and counties the ability to issue bonds to buy buffer property/open space around military facilities — For

Proposition 2: Requiring property tax appraisals for residence homesteads to be based solely on their homestead value — Against

Proposition 3: Allowing state enforcement of uniform property appraisal standards— Against

Proposition 4: The most important of the constitutional amendments would spur an increase in top-tier universities in Texas.

Prop. 4 would let the state shift about $500 million now sitting unused in the Permanent Higher Education Fund to a new National Research University Fund. That would create a pot of incentive money to help add more Tier 1 universities to those Texas already has: the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M and private Rice University.

Seven schools — UT-Arlington, UT-Dallas, Denton’s University of North Texas, the University of Houston, Texas Tech, UT-El Paso and UT-San Antonio — could compete for the money by boosting their federal and private research grants and improving their faculty and admission standards.

More Tier 1 universities would benefit all of Texas.

The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends voting for Proposition 4.

Proposition 5: Allowing consolidated boards of equalization for appraisal districts — Against

Proposition 6: Renewing Veterans Land Board bond authority for land and mortgage loans — Against

Proposition 7: Allowing members of the Texas State Guard to hold civil office — Against

Proposition 8: Authorizing the state to contribute resources to veterans’ hospitals — Against

Proposition 9: Protecting the right of the public, individually and collectively, to access and use the public beaches bordering the seaward shore of the Gulf of Mexico — For

Proposition 10: Allowing board members of emergency services districts to serve four-year terms — Against

Proposition 11: Restricting use of eminent domain to taking property for public purposes — For

Voters will have to make up their own minds. Wherever they come out, the most important thing they can do is go to the polls.

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