Hays County residents have the opportunity to vote for a road bond on the November ballot

By Jaron Von Runnen

News Reporter

Nuh11@txstate.edu

HAYS COUNTY, Texas – During November’s election, Hays County voters will have the opportunity to vote to pass Proposition A, a road bond package including 31 transportation projects around the county, designed to increase road safety and reduce traffic congestion.

The Hays County Commissioners Court called a $440 million bond election on the November 2024 ballot to seek voter approval. Contracted by HNTB, a company specializing in infrastructure and transportation planning, the projects under Proposition A aim to enhance road safety, improve traffic flow, address current infrastructure needs and respond to the county’s rapid population growth.

Counties use bonds for capital improvement projects like roads, parks and public facilities. If voters pass Proposition A, Hays County will fund these projects through general obligation bonds, selling them to investors and backing them with the county’s AA+ bond rating. County officials will then pay off the bonds using property taxes.

HNTB Project Manager Cory Grell said most of the roads in Hays County need to be updated to accommodate the many people moving to the county.

“A lot of these roadways, especially in the eastern part of the county, haven’t been changed in 40 years or so,” Grell said.

“Some of those designs are well past their prime, like narrow shoulders, tight curves, and a lot of that type of stuff, so we’re taking a look at the design and understanding that we need wider shoulders, or we need to redesign this curve because it’s too sharp for the design speed that we’re seeing.”

Proposition A would add 2 cents per $100 valuation to the county tax rate. If the bonds pass, the projected increase of 2 cents will translate to about $3.33 a month for residents of a $200,000 home or about $6.67 a month for residents of a $400,000 home, according to the Hays County Road Bond.

Hays County, which grew from 158,000 residents in 2010 to 269,000 in 2022, is one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Former Hays County Commissioner Jeff Barton said that if the county continues to grow rapidly, property taxes could be lower. He also noted that if Proposition A passes, many steps must occur before road construction can begin.

“If growth stays at present trends, [the taxes] would be much less, but if growth were to slow down, the Commissioners would have the option not to issue all the bonds,” Barton said.

“The bonds are going to be issued in a series over about five years because some of the money is needed upfront to do engineering to move utilities and electric lines out of the way. Then, there will be other phases like buying the right of way and, finally, construction.”

Proposition A will only affect the taxes of homeowners and business owners, excluding college students paying rent at apartment complexes.

Early voting is open October 21-25 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at the following locations:

• Broadway Polling
  • 401 Broadway Street, #A, San Marcos, TX 78666
• Hays County Elections Office
  • 120 Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, TX 78666
• LBJ Student Center
  • 301 Student Center Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666.

To register to vote or check voter registration, visit www.votetexas.gov/.

For more information about Proposition A and the road bonds in Hays County, visit www.hayscountybonds.com/.