Valley View tax-rate vote leads Cooke's Nov. 3 ballot

VALLEY VIEW, Texas — Valley View ISD is asking voters on Nov. 3 to ratify a tax rate of $0.87861 per $100 of taxable value. The ballot labels the proposition a tax increase. The district’s election order, passed and approved Aug. 17 and posted by Cooke County Elections, splits that rate into $0.7489 for maintenance and operations and $0.12971 for debt service. Proposition A asks whether the board may levy the combined rate for the current year. The ballot language says the rate would raise maintenance and operations tax revenue 0.14 percent from the year before, “which is an additional $6,595.” The order says that if voters turn the proposition down, the board may not adopt a rate higher than the district’s voter-approval tax rate. Board president Eric Vann signed the posted order. Secretary Catherine Ritchey attested it. A Sept. 17 special-called agenda asked trustees to consider an amended and restated order for the same election. That agenda does not show whether the board changed the Aug. 17 order. The same day, Cooke County holds its general election for federal, state, and county offices. Gainesville is also holding a special election on city charter amendments. The city’s order says voters may take each proposition separately. That posted order does not include the text of the amendments. Two school trustee elections on that date have been cancelled because the candidates had no opponents. Era ISD’s order declares James Eaton elected to Place 1, Rebecca Reed to Place 2, Blake Branch to Place 3, and Samantha Freeman to Place 5. Slidell ISD’s order declares Charles Stephen Pruett elected to Place 1, Juan Luis Zuniga to Place 2, Julie Renee Sherman to Place 3, and Harold Lensie Pruett to Place 4. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Cooke County’s notice says voters must vote in the precinct where they are registered. Valley View’s order lists three of those sites: Cross Timbers Church, 6134 FM 922, for Precinct 10; Valley View Baptist Church, 504 North Lee, for Precinct 11; and the Era Community Center, 102 Malone Street, for Precinct 12. The county list also includes sites in Gainesville, Callisburg, Muenster, Lindsay, Lake Kiowa, and Moss Lake. Early voting in person for the Valley View election is only at the Cooke County Courthouse Annex, 112 S. Dixon St. in Gainesville. The order sets these hours: - Oct. 19–23, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Oct. 24, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. - Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Oct. 26–30, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Gainesville charter order also sends early voters to that annex. A mail ballot application must be received, not just postmarked, by the close of business on Oct. 23. Mail it to Pam Harrison, early voting clerk, 101 S. Dixon St., Room 108, Gainesville, TX 76240. The elections phone is (940) 668-5437. The email on the Valley View order is Elections@co.cooke.tx.us. The district’s website listed in the order is vvisd.net.