BURN BAN IS ON
Limestone County ESD #2
Sales Tax Capture Initiative
BALLOT PROPOSITION
“The adoption of a local sales and use tax in Limestone County Emergency Services District#2 at the rate of two percent.”
If you have been reading our newsletter you are already aware that we need more funds to acquire the equipment needed to better ensure your safety and that there will be an opportunity for you to vote whether or not you approve of a 2% Sales and Use tax for this district to help us reach these goals. This will only be affecting storefronts in our Limestone County Emergency Service District #2, which covers the west and north side of Lake Limestone, please see the map on the right.
The strategic planning committee and the ESD#2 commissioners considered ways to fund the needs and elected to not seek an increase in property taxes in the district. Instead, we became aware of a timely opportunity and identified a viable solution. The opportunity arose because of actions at the federal and state levels.
After careful study, the ESD commissioners concluded that sales taxes are frequently being collected on many online purchases at rates that exceed 6.25% and, that in the future, many, if not most, online businesses will be moving toward the new uniform rate of 8.00% (6.25% state plus 1.75% local.) Approval of this voter initiative means that the local portion would be included on allowable purchases, at 1.75% or 2.0%.
We understand that store-front sales in the district are considerably less than online sales because residents routinely do not “shop” here. Nonfood sales at the store or food eaten at district restaurants and items purchased at our marina would include an increase with the 2.0% local portion. This represents an opportunity for visitors and vacationers to contribute to emergency services as well. We see this as a “fairness factor,” sharing the burden as the WLLVFD responds to every emergency call!
Our district has the opportunity to request that the local portion of sales tax revenue collected by the state be returned for our local use to improve and sustain emergency services. To address the question of capturing a portion of tax revenues going to the state, citizens in our district are called upon to vote in a special election on Saturday, May 1, 2021 on the following proposition.
For more information, please see the Fact Q&A Sheet in the downloads section below, the current newsletter on this website or our FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/wllvfd
To request an application to vote by mail, please see the instructions below.
Sample Ballot
Ballot by Mail Instructions
Ballot by Mail instructions are available at the link below (from the Texas Secretary of State).
My phone number & address may be added for contact purposes:
Jennifer Southard, Limestone County Elections Administrator
Ph: 254-729-4997
jennifer.southard@co.limestone.tx.us
200 W. State St., Room G5
Groesbeck TX 76642
Application for a Ballot by Mail
To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, you must:
- be 65 years or older;
- be sick or disabled;
- be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
- be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
Instructions for submitting an Application for Ballot by Mail (“ABBM”):
- Print (PDF) the ABBM form
- OR submit an order online and an ABBM will be mailed to you.
- Complete Sections 1 through 8.
- Sign and Date Section 10.
- If you were unable to sign the application and someone witnessed your signature, that person must complete Section 11.
- If someone helped you complete the application or mailed the application for you, that person must complete Section 11.
- Affix postage.
- If you printed the application you must place it in your own envelope and add postage.
- If you ordered the application online and it was mailed to you - fold the application in half, moisten top tab, seal and add postage.
- Address and mail the completed ABBM to the Early Voting Clerk in your county. You may also fax the application if a fax machine is available in the early voting clerk’s office. You also have the option of submitting a scanned copy of the completed and signed application to the Early Voting Clerk via email. If an ABBM is faxed or emailed, then the original, hard copy of the application MUST be mailed and received by the early voting clerk no later than the 4th business day.
- The Early Voting Clerk is the County Clerk or Elections Administrator for your county
- Contact information, including mailing addresses, fax numbers if available, and email addresses for the Early Voting Clerks are available on this website.
NOTICE: Do not mail, fax, or email completed applications for Ballot by Mail to the Secretary of State Office. All applications received by this office will be rejected.
Military and overseas voters are welcome to use the regular registration and early voting by mail process available to all voters away from their home county on Election Day. However, there are also special provisions for military and overseas voters.
For more information, please read the Early Voting in Texas pamphlet.