League of Women Voters of Denton
VOTERS GUIDE
This Voters Guide is funded and published by
the League of Women Voters of Denton. For
more than 90 years, helping voters cast an informed vote when they go to the polls has been
the primary goal of the League of Women Voters. As a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, the League believes that all of us are
stakeholders in making democracy work.
Neither the League nor the Education Fund
supports or opposes any political party or candidate.
INSIDE THIS GUIDE
Denton ISD School Board Trustees…………………………..……….……………….……..3
Denton City Council…………………………………………………………………………..……..4
City of Denton Special Election ……………………………….…………………………...….8
EARLY VOTING, April 24th—May 2nd by personal appearance will be available at the following locations and times for
Denton:
Denton County Elections Administration, 701 Kimberly Drive
Monday—Saturday
April 24—29
8am-5pm
Monday—Tuesday
May 1—2
7am-7pm
Denton Civic Center, 321 East McKinney
Monday—Thursday
April 24 –April 28
8am-5pm
Friday
April 29
8am-4pm
Monday—Tuesday
May 1—2
7am-7pm
For Early Voting by personal appearance outside of the City of Denton, contact the Denton County Elections Administration Office at 940.340.3200 or http://www.votedenton.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/EVLocsMay2017.pdf.
POLLING PLACES on May 6th, Election Day, are by precinct.
For your precinct and/or polling place location, contact the Denton County Elections Office at 940.340.3200 or http://
www.votedenton.com/election-day-polling-locations/.
LWV Denton Voter’s Guide 1
VOTING IN TEXAS
As a registered voter in Texas, you have the right to:

A ballot with written instructions on how to cast a ballot.

Ask the polling place official for instructions on how to cast a ballot (but not suggestions on how to vote).

Cast your vote in secret and free from intimidation.

Receive up to two more ballots if you make a mistake while marking the ballot.


Bring an interpreter to assist you as you qualify to vote if you do not understand the English language.
Help to cast your ballot if you cannot write, see the ballot, or understand the language in which it is written.

Cast a provisional ballot if your name does not appear on the list of registered voters.

Report a possible voting rights abuse to the Secretary of State (1.800.252.8683)
WHAT TO TAKE TO THE POLLS
ABOUT THIS VOTERS GUIDE
You must present one of the following
forms of photo ID when voting in person:
This printed Voters Guide lists candidates in
contested races who are on the May 6, 2017,
Denton Joint Election ballot and provides their
answers to questions posed by The League of
Women Voters of Denton.
Additional information can be accessed online
at www.VOTE411.org including an online Voters
Guide with candidate videos, races not included
in this Voters Guide, and an “On Your Ballot”
feature allowing voters to enter an address and
review races and ballot initiatives specific to that
address.
This Voters Guide lists candidates for Denton
Independent School District Board of Trustees
Places 6 & &, Denton City Council Districts 1, 2, 3,
and 4 as well as information on the Denton Special Election, Proposition 1. Questionnaires were
sent to candidates in races that are contested
within the same party. Candidate replies are
printed without editing or verification. Due to
space restrictions, candidates were given strict
word limits. Replies exceeding the word limit are
indicated by slashes (///). Candidates were also
asked to avoid references to their opponents.
Candidates appearing with no photo failed to
submit one.
This Voters Guide is organized by office. Ballot
order may vary from county to county. The
names of unopposed candidates are also listed.

Texas drivers license issued by the
Texas Department of Public Safety
(DPS)

Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS

Texas personal identification card
issued by DPS

Texas concealed handgun license
issued by DPS

United States military identification card containing your photograph

United States citizenship certificate
containing your photograph

United States passport
YOU MAY BRING THIS
VOTERS GUIDE INTO
THE VOTING BOOTH!
In 1995, the Texas law
prohibiting use of printed
materials, such as this Voters
Guide, in the polling place was
ruled unconstitutional (Texas
Election Code, Section 61.011).
With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the identification must
be current or have expired no more
than 60 days before being presented
for voter qualification at the polling
place.
For more information:
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uploads/2013/08/Photo-ID-InformationalDocument.pdf
LWV Denton Voter’s Guide 2
DENTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board consists of seven members elected by the voters of the Denton
ISD for three year terms. The Board selects and employs the Superintendent
of Schools who is the Chief Executive Officer of the District. The Board
members are responsible for making local policy, developing and approving
the annual budget, and setting the tax rate for the district each year.
QUESTIONS FOR DENTON ISD TRUSTEE CANDIDATES
Education (Limit: 25 words)
Experience (Limit: 50 words)
1) What is the most important mechanism for on-going communication
between citizens and school board members other than appearances
at school board meetings? (100 word limit)
2) If DISD expenditures must be reduced, where would you make cuts to
have the least impact on the classroom; administrators; class size; or
programs, such as sports, fine arts, technical education, or others?
(100 word limit)
3) Please describe your position on school vouchers or education savings
accounts. (100 word limit)
DENTON ISD TRUSTEE, PLACE 6
Jim Alexander
Education: Ph.D. School of Government and Public Administration
American University Washington DC,
BA and MA Texas A&M at Commerce, AA North Central Texas College
Experience: Member and Current
Secretary of Denton ISD Board of
Trustees, Director Law Enforcement
Management Institute of Texas,
Texas Woman’s University
Professor Emeritus of Government
TWU, Paul Harris Fellow and Member of the Denton Rotary Club, Former Member of Denton City Council,
1) Former President of North Central Texas Council of Governments
Face-to-face discussion is the most important mechanism for communication. I try and move about the district and attend a wide variety of
school activities and public events where I can listen and learn from
students, parents, and voters about the ever-changing issues within our
schools. Phone calls and emails from parents and other citizens are a
regular part of my life. However, as our district grows, board members
must seek new ways to listen and learn. You can find me on Facebook
or on my website. Either way, we must all keep talking with each other.
2) The highest priority must always be the students and what happens
between students and teachers and how that affects student learning,
achievement, and personal growth. That priority must remain the same
whether we are dealing with increasing or declining revenues. Budgeting
is an on-going process for our board. If faced with the necessity of cuts,
the board must listen very carefully to all the stakeholders in the public
school community and make the decisions that are best for kids. We all
must work together to demand adequate and equitable state funding for
our public schools.
3) Public taxpayer dollars should not be used for school vouchers or
any other scheme designed to divert public funds to private or religious
schools. Such schools have a right to exist, but they must not be funded
with taxpayer dollars. The Texas Legislature is directed by Article VII of
the Texas Constitution to “make suitable provision for the support and
maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools” As a school
board member, I am proud to be an advocate for Texas public schools and
insist that the Texas Legislature fulfill its mandate to adequately fund
public schools.
Alfredo Sanchez
Education: Bachelor of Science Degree,
major in Wildlife, minor in Botany and
Zoology. Army Sergeant, attended Noncommissioned Officers Academy, and
trained with NATO in demolition.
Experience: Employments provided vast
experiences. Army sergeant: I learned
the value of making decision and listening. While employed for the United
States Department of Agriculture as a
Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer
and Wildlife Biologist I honed my skills in
paying attention to detail and standing
up for common sense solutions.
1) Social media such as facebook and e-mails allows school board
members, parents and teachers to exchange ideas and discuss problems. I
would establish such avenues of communication to address school issues.
When that fails, I have no problem meeting face to face and/or on a one
on one with parents and teachers. It is extremely important that there is
open communication between parents, teachers and school board members. School board meetings provide limited opportunity for exchange of
information in a three minute presentation. It is also important that
school board members visit schools to glean solutions to school issues.
2) Fine arts and technical education are part of the core curriculum.
Before making any major cuts, I would consult with teachers to get their
input. Teachers are the most knowledgeable about school issues. As a
school board member, it is my responsibility to make the most informed
decision. Travel for training for administrative personnel, contracts, is a
good place to start cuts. With existing technology much of the training can
be live streamed or by video. No one person has the correct answer on
what programs to cut, rather it should be a collaborative effort among
teachers, school employees, and ///
3) I do not support vouchers or education savings accounts. Public
education is available to everyone. If parents prefer to send their children
to a private school it should be at their expense since they made that
decision. Public education produces graduates that do very well and go
on to some very elite Universities. Parent motivation and involvement is
paramount for a student to be successful. Teacher’s responsibility is to
provide the tools for success, reading, writing, arithmetic, etc. Shifting
money from public education to private education does not take into
consideration long term effects on the infrastructure of schools.
Continued on next page
LWV Denton Voter’s Guide 3
QUESTIONS FOR DENTON ISD TRUSTEE CANDIDATES
Justin Bell
Education: I have a Bachelor of Music
Education from the University of North
Texas.
Continued from previous page
DENTON ISD TRUSTEE, PLACE 7
Experience: I have been a public school
band director for nine years, two of those
years with Strickland Middle School in
Denton 2014-2016. Our students, the
associate director, and myself created a
unique classroom environment of politeness, respect, and cooperative effort uncommon in the world today.
Sam Ortiz
Education: I graduated High School in 1995 in California. Class C
Wastewater License as well as Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester certified by TCEQ.
Experience: I am currently on the Health and Building Safety Commission.
I am the treasurer for the Latino Democrats of Denton County. I have in the
past been on the Planning and Zoning Board, in Walsenburg Colorado.
1) Community involvement is very important to the school board. As far
as mechanism I don’t see one platform to be more of an importance than
another. People in the community respond differently to communications
from the schools. Some prefer to talk on the phone, others email or social
media, and yet others prefer letters in the mail. We need to be resilient and
be able to communicate on all platforms. Not everyone’s situation is the
same, what does remain the same is the need for public to stay informed.
2) No one wants to make cuts when it comes to education (except our
State and Federal Government), but in the case where we do need to make
cuts, I would look for ways to combine programs in hopes to save money.
The schools should look for other ways to invest in the future, for example
attaching solar panels to schools. The schools have a break during the summer months, if we were to be producing electricity for a credit it will reduce
the cost, and the electric bill will be significantly be lower due to the generation of electricity.
3) No answer given
Dorothy A. Martinez
1) The board members and district
should send a monthly email which contains: member contact information, upcoming agendas, votes, and member positions on issues, to the parents of students and community members wanting to receive communication. Citizen input needs to be encouraged on all decisions.
2) I would look at reducing expenditures on administration. Cutting
programs is not an option. Fine arts, sports and other programs are just as
important as academics, thus they will not be cut. These programs teach
principles that when applied to academics create a more successful student.
3) I am concerned that vouchers and education savings accounts will
cause the unintended consequence of inadequate funding for public
schools and public school alternatives. The obvious impact of diminished
funding is lack of educational materials, increased class size, and potential
program cuts, which will negatively impact a child's education. The overlooked consequence is that Texas pays our teachers well, compared to
surrounding states. This has attracted great Teachers in Texas. I believe
vouchers and savings accounts will lead to a decrease in teacher pay,
whereby causing the best and brightest teachers to leave the profession.
Education: No answer given
DENTON CITY COUNCIL
Experience: No answer given
1) I have a business card with my personal cell phone number on it,
which I hand out often. My contact information is on the Denton ISD
homepage (www.denton.isd.org/trustees) and a Facebook page where
people can ask me questions. If you’d like to meet in person, we can do
that too, and I always take your concerns to the superintendent and add
my thoughts on the subject. I’m here to serve the students and families in
this district to the best of my ability, but we all live by rules and must follow
them.
2) I would ask the superintendent to discuss with our teachers, principals and administrators where we could cut without much fallout to student instruction and programs. We are a fast-growth school district, so we
need to protect our ability to meet the needs of the students that are here
and those that are coming. I would start by cutting travel for the board,
administrators and teachers – have training opportunities come here or be
as close to home as possible. We’d partner with local businesses to share
expertise, facilities and financial gains for the benefits of education in the
community.
3) Vouchers are an elite way to privatize student education without any
accountability, paid by the tax payers, with no accountability. Public schools
adhere to strict regulations and are held accountable each year by the
state. Private schools are not held to the same standards and charter
schools often fail to meet this accountability. It’s ridiculous for the state to
support vouchers for private and charter schools, when it’s been underfunding public education for years. We don’t pick and choose who we educate, we educate all students regardless of background, need or ability.
The City of Denton is governed by a mayor and six city council members.
The Mayor and two council members are elected at-large, and four
council members are elected from single districts. Terms are two years
in length and each of the seven members of the council can serve up to
a maximum of three consecutive terms. Council members are policymakers, representing citizens as they focus on community goals, manor
projects, and long-term considerations such as community growth, landuse development, capital improvement plans and strategic planning.
QUESTIONS FOR DENTON CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
Education (Limit: 25 words)
Experience (Limit: 50 words)
1)
2)
3)
4)
How do you propose providing a balance for energy that is both
affordable and not harmful to air quality? (100 words)
What steps would you take to see that the plan outlined by the Denton Citizen Homeless Task Force is implemented allowing for greater
support to the Denton homeless community? (100 words)
How would you work with the Denton Planning Commission to increase opportunities for affordable housing? (100 words)
If the tax freeze passes, how do you envision the impact on city services? (100 words)
Continued on the next page
LWV Denton Voter’s Guide 4
QUESTIONS FOR DENTON CITY COUNCIL
Continued from previous page
DENTON CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 1
Gerard Hudspeth
Education: I graduated from Denton High School. I’m currently back in
school and projecting to earn my Bachelor degree by 2018.
Experience: I have owned a home in District 1 for over 10 years and
owned a business in District 1 for several years. I have gained invaluable
experience serving on Planning & Zoning Commission (2yrs). I’m a former
Member, Vice- President & President of Tomas Rivera PTA.
1) To ensure energy is both affordable and limit its effect on the air
quality, I will continue to educate residents. They have the right to sign up
for GreenSense renewable energy. I would make the GreenSense option
more attractive to the Denton Municipal Electrics business customers. I
would create an environment in the city that attracted businesses that
create green energy.
2) As a representative on city council, I would represent all the citizens
of Denton (homeless citizens’ too). Regarding the next steps in the implementation of the Homeless Task Force plan/recommendations, greater
support requires greater communication. I would regularly report back to
and seek guidance from our citizens, because “The goal of the task force
was to produce a plan for coordinated community-wide efforts to address
homelessness”. The reporting would include a state of the program from
the homeless coordinator.
3) I am a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission. I’m currently
working to increase the inventory of affordable house in Denton. I requested a home builder give a presentation on what they need to enable them to
build affordable housing. Right now the City of Denton is reworking the
development code. I’m pushing for additional flexibility in the code, which
would create an environment that attracts redevelopment of affordable
houses.
4) If the tax freeze passes, I do not envision it impacting city services. It
will affect the city budget, which means we, the City Council, must spend
wisely. The City Council will need to focus on funding needs (services) and
then evaluating wants.
Frances Hawes
1) I propose balancing affordable energy and air quality in Denton
through a pragmatic compromise of seventy-percent renewable energy—
combined with lower utility bills—as Denton Municipal Electric continues
to work toward energy solutions that are less-reliant on fossil fuels. The
Renewable Denton Plan is such a compromise. I also propose adding additional bike and walking lanes in major downtown areas of Denton to accommodate riders and walkers, and to promote less emission exhaust from
car use. Finally, I propose adding additional DCTA stations to offer lowcarbon fuel options for multiple riders in Denton.
2) The Shiloh Village Project, crafted by Pat Smith of Serve Denton has
been heralded by current city council members, and repurposed by local
resident, Joe Yancey. This 20-unit “Tiny House” project would entirely
eliminate the homeless population of Veterans in Denton. The project costs
$1.2 million, $400, 000 has been pledged thus far, and the land for the
project had been donated. I would find resources to supplement the
$700,000 needed to complete this project. While measuring success, I
would advocate The Shiloh Village Project as a model to craft additional
affordable housing for those in need in Denton.
3) I would be pleased to work with The Planning and Zoning Commission to assist in implementing affordable housing in Denton; it is part of my
platform. Specifically, I would seek to model affordable housing efforts that
have proven successful in other cities that are similar in size to Denton. This
includes considering high density living options, researching affordable
house communities, and advocating for landlord registration to ensure
fairness. As a renter in Denton for 19 years, I am committed to ensuring
affordable housing in Denton, for myself and for others.
4) I am concerned that the impact on city services from the tax freeze
would be significant. I believe that our streets (lights and maintenance),
parks, libraries, and homeless shelters would suffer from the lack of available city tax revenue caused by the tax freeze. I also envision a shift for
those whose homes are valued at $150K or under, and for those who cannot afford higher property taxes in general. The tax freeze would not benefit those who may need it the most, so I would advocate for equality for
those who might suffer from the freeze.
DENTON CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 2
Keely G. Briggs
Unopposed
DENTON CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 3
Candidate responded to questions, however the Voter’s Guide editor was
unable to open the document in the format provided.
Jason Cole
Education: I attended Denton public schools
K-12 and graduated with a Bachelors Degree
from The University of North Texas, 1993.
Emily White
Education: BS – Theatre Arts Texas Woman’s University 1998, MFA – Arts Admn.
Virginia Tech 2002, PhD – Rhetoric Texas
Woman’s University 2010
Experience: Citizen’s Bond Committee City
of Denton 2013-14, Board Member Koan
School 2012-Present, Volunteer Denton
Community Market 2012-Present, Volunteer G.O.A.L. – Denton, I.S.D. 2015-Present,
Volunteer Juliet’s Jewels 2014-Present,
Volunteer 35Denton 2016, Volunteer Oaktopia 2016
Experience: I spent 13 years in the Pharmaceutical/Biotech industry in sales, marketing,
training and clinical studies. I negotiated
contracts with hospitals and surgery centers.
I was also the co-owner The Dinner Station, a
local small business. I am currently a managing partner in Bronco Capital LLC.
1) I believe in natural gas as a bridge fuel
to renewable energy. It provides us with a
cleaner, cheaper, abundant fuel supply, while we work towards more renewable options such as wind and solar. I believe gas well operations need
to be closely monitored and held to a high standard of safety. We must
ensure we have enough inspectors to adequately oversee local wells.
Continued on the next page
LWV Denton Voter’s Guide 5
QUESTIONS FOR DENTON CITY COUNCIL
DISTRICT 3
Continued from previous page
Jason Cole (Cont.)
2) I would ensure that the funding mechanisms such as Community
Development Block Grants and the Human Services Grant are continued so
that we support all the local groups giving aid. I would continue to support
infusion from City general funds. We need to continue to closely work with
the Denton Homeless Coalition to see these people make it up all the steps
to independent living.
3) I would work with the Denton Planning Commission to help shepherd
along their recommendations to increase the supply of affordable housing.
I will work to support the Denton Affordable Housing Corporation and the
important services they provide. I would like to see more housing units
available to DAHC.
4) My strategy for dealing with the loss in revenue from the tax freeze
would be to advocate policies to increase revenue through economic
growth. Denton needs to make it much easier for small businesses to open.
Increased economic activity increases revenue. In this respect Denton
needs to get out of the way. We have so much brain power and creativity in
Denton. That power needs to be nurtured, not stymied. If we follow this
path, we won’t have to worry about lost revenue.
Don Duff
Education: BS in Electrical Engineering from University of Texas Arlington,
1962.
Experience: US Army 1962-1964, electronic design and manufacturing
engineer 1964-1987, real estate office owner 1987-1990, owned and leased
homes in Ft Worth 1990-2008, resident Realtor at Robson Ranch since
2009, including broker owner of Five R Realty 2012 until present.
1) Balance of energy and air quality Denton Municipal Utilities (DMU) is
currently negotiating a 20 year purchases of wind and solar power. DMU’s
goal is to be 70% wind and solar. The 12 natural gas generators being purchased emit only CO2. Electric power is available without the gas generators, but having the generators allows DME to control cost of electricity.
Bonds for generators will be paid by Denton customers. DMU is also working to sell the coal fired plant of which the City of Denton is part owner.
2) I applaud the work of the task force, however, the Denton City Council will have the final say regarding all funding for programs, including programs for the homeless. The budget is complicated and demands are many.
This cannot be a "government only" solution. It has to be a joint effort of
non-profits (like Serve Denton, the Monsignor King Shelter, and the Salvation Army) along with volunteers from the community, and support from
the City Council.
3) The Denton Planning & Zoning Commission is a totally independent
and separate body from the Denton City Council. They are part of a "checks
and balances" system where each body hears, evaluates and votes independently. P&Z will act independently to decide issues regarding affordable
housing. City Council will act independently to decide issues regarding
affordable housing. The decision will be driven by the cost of land, the cost
to build, and Federal or State programs that subsidize those costs for developers. The budget impact also has to be considered, as some affordable
housing projects do not pay any property tax.
4) First, a short fall of $200,000 - $400,000 will result from the tax
freeze, depending on the rise of appraised values. Denton’s overall budget
is $114,000,000. That is at most a short fall of 0.4% of the budget. I do not
understand how this small amount could cause all the gloom and doom
predicted by some. In addition, Robson Ranch had 154 new homes completed in 2016, adding close to $400,000 in new City property tax revenue
in 2017. For the next 25 years, an additional $400,000+ will be added every
year.
Paul Meltzer
Education: BA Wesleyan University, MBA in General Management Dartmouth College
Experience: 30 years new product exec, leading companywide teams in
developing, launching, and managing new products/services to profitability
for national brands and leading cable/telecommunications companies.
Employers: General Foods, General Mills, Campbell Soup Company, Cablevision, Time-Warner Cable. VP/SVP 12 years. Retired. Thin Line Board VP,
United Way volunteer.
1) DME's RDP presentation showed that 100 percent renewable energy-with no emissions--would cost less than our current rates from 2019 on.
This has been done in Texas in a sizable, fast-growing municipality, without
debt. With a $265 million gas plant project now funded and under way, the
first task is to investigate legal strategies and weigh the cost and feasibility
of changing direction or at least reducing the investment in capacity aimed
at selling into the grid. We should also encourage our major non-residential
customers to opt for Green Sense as UNT has done.
2) The recently formed countywide coalition of private and public agencies is the key. Denton's current homelessness coordinator should be
tasked with creating the case level tracking visible to all groups, to eliminate duplication of efforts. There are also savings in identifying those
chronically homeless, genuinely locally-based individuals who do not
choose homelessness as a lifestyle and end up frequently on EMT trucks, in
emergency rooms and cycling through the county jail, all at considerable
community expense. The coordinator should be directed to negotiate gain
sharing agreements with the county and hospitals as a way to fund supportive housing.
3) Rising housing costs are driven by lack of supply, so we do need to
identify areas where we can tolerate greater density and encourage vibrant
new urban neighborhoods, without destroying established neighborhoods'
character. I support rezoning Cement City for greater height, with a small
area plan. South of the square too, with a plan for integrating green space
and retail. Affordable housing grant applications should be supported by
council for projects with a percentage of affordable units among marketrate units.
4) The freeze, combined with moves in Austin to restrict local control,
will likely result in tighter budgets. Council should direct the new City Manager and Auditor toward identifying where administrative overheads can be
consolidated so citizen-facing services are protected. A little restructuring
has begun; we should keep going. Department managers must be challenged to identify the least citizen-affecting 5 percent of their budgets, to
be weighed against any new requests. Projects no longer meeting their
goals should be either fixed or cut. My private sector management experience will help me offer constructive approaches to doing more with less.
Continued on the next page
LWV Denton Voter’s Guide 6
QUESTIONS FOR DENTON CITY COUNCIL
John Ryan
Continued from previous page
Education: UNT 1983-1985 Physics and Mathematics, NCTC various courses
between 1985 and 2004 in accounting, business management and real
estate 2009 Graduate of Leadership Denton
DENTON CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 4
Amanda Servis
Education: Denton High School 2003, NCTC 2003-2005, Toni and Guy Academy 2008
Experience: Owner and Creative Director Lucky Locks Beauty Bar and Lucky
Locks Hair Extensions
Denton County Friends of The Family Planning and Events Committee
1) I propose that Denton go 100% renewable energy. If Georgetown,
Texas can do it then so can Denton.
2) We need to figure out a way to increase funding for EVERY aspect of
this program.
3) By communicating to them that we need affordable housing for EVERYONE. I’ve been a single mom and I know how difficult it is to find a place
that’s affordable and still safe.
4) The burden would be passed to younger people who are already
burdened with more debt. If we take away more money from the city then
we have less money for roads and other parts of our infrastructure.
Experience: City of Denton Construction Advisory and Appeals Board
(2001), Planning and Zoning Commission (2009) and Smoking Ordinance Ad
-Hoc Citizen Advisory Committee (2012). Denton City Council District 2
(2014) Council subcommittees—Audit Finance, Citizen Engagement and
Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund—representative of Council on the Convention &
Visitors Bureau.
1) The city’s obligations for the Gibson Creek Power Plant, a coal fired
plant, are scheduled to be paid off in 2018. The first step we need to take is
working with our TMPA partners to remove ourselves from this plant. As a
city own electrical company it is much easier for us to lock in long term
contracts for clean energy since publically held companies rarely lock in
longer than a two year contract. This means clean power suppliers will
negotiate better pricing with us in order to show their stakeholders long
term revenue projections.
2) Force is implemented allowing for greater support to the Denton
homeless community? Homelessness is an issue which many great organizations are working diligently to eliminate. The Denton City Council has
been supportive of many of these including the Denton County Homeless
Coalition. A county wide approach is necessary in order to broaden the
resource base. MHMR, Law Enforcement, elected official throughout the
county and non-profit organizations must all work together to ensure we
are solving the problem and not just moving it to another area. As a board
member of Serve Denton I see the great works our non-profits do ///
3) This question seems unclear. I will encourage city staff to identify
projects for which CGB funds can be obtained. I would also encourage the
Denton Housing Authority to seek more housing vouchers, especially for
veterans.
4) The immediate effect of a tax freeze would be minimal but the long
term effect will require a great deal of “pencil sharpening”. In the event the
tax freeze passes and Senate Bill 2 passes as currently written the effects
will be accelerated and exacerbate the problem. Zero base budgeting plus
proper management and oversight of certificates of obligation will be an
absolute necessity. As a last resort all departments except police and fire
should be put on a hiring freeze, requiring any new hire or replacement
positions to be evaluated by management and the council for "true necessity".
LWV Denton Voter’s Guide 7
CITY OF DENTON SPECIAL ELECTION
Proposition 1
Opponents of Proposition 1**: (those who object to the
proposition with and AGAINST vote)
A vote against maintains: Homestead Exemptions

Once adopted by ordinance or approved at election the
limitation is permanent and can’t be rescinded
“Authorize the adoption of a ceiling of limitation on the city
ad valorem tax levy of a person who is disabled and a person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older who makes
application for and receives a homestead exemption.”

Currently 0.5% of value or $5,000 whichever is greater

Have 18,297 properties in 2016 that qualified for homestead exemption out of 27,857 single family homes
Vote: FOR the Ordinance

6,874 properties qualified for the over 65 exemption
($50,000)
BALLOT LANGUAGE
Vote: AGAINST the Ordinance

The following Pro and Con information is from a City of Denton White
Paper presented to the Denton City Council on January 10, 2017. Source:
https://www.cityofdenton.com/CoD/media/City-of-Denton/Residents/
Make%20a%20Difference/Tax-Limitation-Presentation.pdf
260 properties qualified for the disabled exemption
(raised to $50,000)

The over 65 exemption was raised from $25,000 in
2008 in $5,000 increments to $50,000 in 2013 in response to citizen requests
Additional information can be found in this Dallas Morning News Article: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2010/01/17/Property-tax-

177 properties have the deferral option (for over 65 or
disabled) for tax year 2016 with actual deferrals of 176
properties on latest delinquent tax roll
Proponents of Proposition 1*: (those who want it to pass
with a FOR vote)
A vote for establishes: Over 65 and Disabled Person Tax Limitation (Tax
Freeze )

Once adopted by ordinance or approved at election the limitation is
permanent and can’t be rescinded

Impacts homestead (owner occupied) property of those that are over
65 or disabled under state law

Disabled is based on qualification for disability insurance benefits
under Social Security

The tax year in which the limitation is enacted sets the maximum
property tax dollar amount paid to the jurisdiction (example $500.00)
Secretary of State

Limitation is based on actual tax paid after any other exemptions are
taken (homestead, over-65, disabled
www.sos.state.tx.us

Qualifying property owner may pay less than limitation in any given
year, but not more

Tax limitation may be passed to surviving spouse if disabled or 55 or
older when the qualifying individual dies

Qualifying property owner may transfer tax limitation to new property
in the same jurisdiction based on a proportional formula


The revenue impact to the City will be incremental and grow over
time, but the exact long-term impact is difficult to accurately determine
The sale of homes subject to the limitation is another factor to consider in the revenue impact estimation (turnover rate)
HELPFUL WEBSITES
www.VoteTexas.gov
Denton County Elections Administration
www.votedenton.com
League of Women Voters of Denton
www.lwvdenton.org
League of Women Voters of Texas
www.lwvtexas.org
League of Women Voters (U.S.)
www.lwv.org
Republican Party of Texas
www.texasgop.org
Democratic Party of Texas
www.txdemocrats.org
Libertarian Party of Texas
www.lptexas.org
Green Party of Texas
www.txgreens.org
LWV Denton Voter’s Guide 8