Voters in North Texas headed to the polls on Tuesday to cast ballots on several local initiatives, including bond issues for Tarrant County and the Fort Worth Independent School District.
It wasn’t easy for the bond issues, with one of two Tarrant County bonds going down to defeat and one of four Fort Worth ISD bond issues barely holding on to a slim lead.
The Fort Worth ISD’s $1.5 billion bond election saw propositions for Fine Arts upgrades, new stadiums and renovation and replacement of recreation facilities go down in defeat. Proposition A, which provides $1.2 billion for construction, renovation, acquisition and equipment of school buildings, was clinging to a slim lead that might not hold up.
The district’s last bond election was in 2017 for $750 million. It passed with more than 70% of voters approving the bonds.
In the Tarrant County bond election, one proposition that provided $400 million in bonds for streets and roads, passed with 66% of the vote. The second bond issue, $116 million to build and equip new offices for the district attorney’s office, saw 55% voting against the proposition.
In Benbrook, the race for mayor saw Jason Ward defeating Renee Franklin with 53% of the vote.
Also on the ballot were eight proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, including one of particular local interest that will allow rodeos to conduct raffles for charities such as student scholarship programs sponsored by the Fort Worth Rodeo and Stock Show. All eight amendments were approved.
Tarrant County’s elections website has more results. The Texas Tribune has updated results for the constitutional amendments.