Just as homeowners borrow money in the form of a mortgage to finance the purchase of a home, a school district borrows money in the form of bonds to finance construction, renovation and other capital projects. Both are repaid over time, but in order for a school district to sell tax supported bonds, it must go to the voters for approval. 

Bond funds can be used to pay for new buildings, additions and renovations to existing buildings, land acquisition, technology, buses, and equipment, among other items. By law, bond funds may not be used to fund daily operating expenses, such as salaries or utilities, which are paid for out of the district’s Maintenance & Operation (M&O) budget. 

Recent legislation in 2019 now requires school districts to include certain projects in separate propositions so that voters can more clearly understand what they are deciding on. Projects like Performing Arts Centers, Natatoriums, Technology Devices, Stadiums, and Teacher Housing are now required by law to be listed on their own separate ballot proposition.

School districts are required by law to ask voters for permission to issue bonds in order to pay for capital expenditures for projects like building a new school or making renovations to existing facilities. Districts take out a loan and then pay that loan back over an extended period of time, much like a family takes out a mortgage loan for their house.

If all measures are approved, taxpayers in Pflugerville ISD will see a 12-cent decrease in their overall tax rate in this fiscal year. 

Since PfISD’s last bond election, the legislature passed a new law requiring school districts to include the language “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE”, even when the district is not expecting a rate increase. The issuance of new bonds will increase the term of the debt repayment at the current rate. The 2022 bond will not require an increase in the tax rate but will elongate the repayment term at the current rate.

Taxpayers are not expected to see a tax rate increase from the bonds. A few combined factors have put PfISD in this position, including the early paying down of debt, low interest rates, and rising property values.

For residents 65-years and older, their school district tax bill will not increase, even if their property values increase (excluding property improvements) as long as an approved Homestead and Over-65 Exemption application is on file with the Travis County Appraisal District, and the property has been owned as of Jan. 1 of the tax year.

Anyone who is a registered voter and lives within the Pflugerville ISD district boundaries is eligible to vote in this election. 

Voter registration applications are available in most government buildings and are available at all PfISD campuses. To vote in the November 2022 election, your voter registration application must be postmarked by Tuesday, October 11.

To see if you’re registered, visit https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do

Coming soon.