In Monday’s meeting of the Brown County Commissioners Court, the Commissioners canvassed the votes in Brown County on the recent election held on November 7.  Brown County Elections Administrator Brenda Arp reported that a total of 4,281 persons voted, out of 24,538 registered voters, for a participation rate of 17.45%.  This election had only proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, 14 total.  Brown County voters approved all but one of the proposed amendments.  Proposition 13, which would have raised the mandatory retirement age of state judges to 75 from the current age of 70, failed in Brown County and in the statewide vote total.  All other amendments passed in Brown County and in the State totals.  Details below.

Commissioners also approved the Brown County Holiday Schedule for 2024.  After some discussion, and various suggestions on what days to take for holidays, a schedule of 15 holiday days was proposed and passed by a vote of 3-1.  Commissioner Wayne Shaw, who favored a different schedule, cast the no vote.  The schedule is shown below.

In other business:

*** Approval was given to a subdivision plat on County Road 333 for the Ledge Stone Ranch development, proposed by Price Keever of National Land Partners from Marble Falls, Texas.

*** Approval was given to a proposal from Sheriff Vance Hill for the County to join the 791 Purchasing Cooperative.  According to Hill, this will allow the County to purchase prescription drugs for County Jail inmates from Diamond Pharmacy in Pennsylvania, which he believes will save money for the County.

*** Took no action on a burn ban, leaving the current No Burn Ban in place.

BROWN COUNTY ELECTION TOTALS

PROPOSITION ONE – Protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, etc.

For:  3,895    91.50%

Against: 362    8.5%

PROPOSITION TWO – Authorizing a local option to exempt from ad valorum taxes real estate property used to operate a child-care facility.

For:  2,547    61.48%

Against:  1,596    38.52%

PROPOSITION THREE – Prohibiting the imposition of an individual wealth or net worth tax.

For:  3,541    85.00%

Against:  625    15.00%

PROPOSITION FOUR – Increasing the homestead exemption on school district ad valorum taxes to $100,000 from the current $40,000.

For:  3,819    90.95%

Against:    380    9.05%

PROPOSITION FIVE – Providing money for research at certain state universities in Texas.

For:  2,205    53.45%

Against:  1,920    46.55%

PROPOSITION SIX – Creating a Texas water fund.

For:  3,090    74.05%

Against:  1,083    25.95%

PROPOSITION SEVEN – Creating a Texas energy fund.

For:  2,871    69.20%

Against:  1,278    30.80%

PROPOSITION EIGHT – Creating a broadband infrastructure fund.

For:  2,573    62.26%

Against:  1,560    37.74%

PROPOSITION NINE – Authorizing a cost-of-living raise to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas

For:  3,453    81.65%

Against:  776    18.35%

PROPOSITION TEN – Authorizing an exemption from ad valorum taxation for certain medical equipment or inventory.

For:  2,347    57.15%

Against:  1,760    42.85%

PROPOSITION ELEVEN – Authorizing bonds in El Paso County for parks and recreational facilities

For:  2,128    54.34%

Against:  1,788    45.66%

PROPOSITION TWELVE – Providing for the abolition of the office of county treasurer in Galveston County

For:  2,207    59.42%

Against:  1,507    40.58 %

PROPOSITION THIRTEEN – To increase the mandatory retirement age for state judges to 75 from the current age of 70.

For:  1,569    38.44%

Against:  2,513    61.56%

PROPOSITION FOURTEEN – To provide a fund for the creation and improvement of state parks.

For:  2,944    71.21%

Against:  1,190    28.79%

BROWN COUNTY 2024 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

New Year’s Day                                Monday, January 1

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day         Monday, January 15

President’s Day                               Monday, February 19

Good Friday                                     Friday, March 29

Memorial Day                                  Monday, May 27

Juneteenth Independence Day    Wednesday, June 19

Independence Day                          Thursday, July 4

Friday, July 5

Labor Day                                         Monday, September 2

Columbus Day                                 Monday, October 14

Veterans Day                                   Monday, November 11

Thanksgiving                                  Thursday, November 28

Friday, November 29

Christmas Eve                                Tuesday, December 24

Christmas Day                                Wednesday, December 25