BONDS, SMOKING, AND LIQUOR ISSUES ON AREA BALLOTS

By Ella Tyler

Many area voters will find a surprise at the end of their ballots. After a long list of candidates for senator, governor, judge, and more, there will be a list of propositions asking for votes on bonds, smoking, or liquor by the drink. Some of these are hot contests, but others have had little public attention.In Baytown, voters are being asked to approve a ban on smoking in all public buildings and workplaces and in the seating area of outdoor arenas. The proposal is much stricter than Baytown’s current ordinance, adopted in 1999. The proposed ordinance is also stricter than the one adopted by Houston City Council earlier this month.

The election will be the end of a campaign that began in January. The ordinance was added to the ballot in August after the SmokeFree Baytown Coalition collected more than 700 signatures asking that the measure be put to a vote. The Baytown City Council could have made its existing ordinance stronger, but chose instead to let the voters decide whether or not to expand its provisions.

Both sides of the issue have now posted the full text of the proposed ordinance to their websites. An opposition group, Baytown Citizens for Property Rights, was the first to post. According to the Baytown Sun, group spokesman James Haarmeyer said the text of the ordinance was made available so that voters could educate themselves before making a decision. The Sun quotes Haarmeyer, “It’s one thing to say, we’re going to vote on a smoking ban. That’s nothing but terminology. It’s an idea, and you can’t enforce an idea. You have to have some letter of the law to enforce.”

It is difficult to see how posting the language of the ordinance would assist its opponents. The clauses that introduce the ordinance detail many public health reasons for supporting the smoking ban. However, opponents claim that “No Smoking” signs will be required on vehicles used for work. Underlining and highlighting in the posted ordinance at Baytown Citizens for Property Rights’ website call attention to this language. Four Baytown city council members have already pledged that they will not support any amendments to the ordinance if it passes.

Additional arguments against the ban are that a property owner should have the right to do as he or she pleases and that smokers would go to restaurants and bars in nearby cities where there are less strict ordinances.

Opponents also complain that oncologist Richard Ehlers, spokesman for SmokeFree Baytown, does not live in the city and that San Jacinto Hospital, a supporter of the ban, allows smoking in its psychiatric unit, which would continue to be allowed if the ban were approved.

In contrast, there appears to be little heat surrounding two area liquor-by-the-drink measures. The city of West Columbia in Brazoria County will be voting whether to allow restaurants to sell mixed drinks. The local Chamber of Commerce and the area newspaper, Brazosport Facts, are supporting it. Deer Park’s upcoming election hasn’t even been mentioned in the local paper recently.

Many municipalities, school districts, community college districts, and utility districts are asking for voters to give them authority to issue bonds. Katy ISD is asking for more than $250 million for school bonds, a reflection of growth in that area.

The City of Houston has six bond proposals, one that asks for authority to sell up to $320 million in street and drainage bonds and another to authorize up to $55 million in park bonds. Frank Michel, communications director for the mayor’s office, said that the projects that might be funded by bonds are listed in the city’s five-year capital improvements budget. “We sell bonds only as we need money for these improvements,” Mitchell said. “The last time we asked for voter approval to sell bonds was in 2001.” He said the city currently has authority to sell bonds for only about two years of capital improvements.

According to Mitchell, the bonds for which the city is seeking approval, as well as outstanding bonds, can be paid off without increasing taxes.

The Clear Lake City Water Authority is asking its voters to approve bonds that were rejected in two elections in 1998. The authority entered into contracts with several developers to reimburse developers for water, sewer, and drainage improvements, contingent on voter approval. The Water Authority claims that two voter rejections were enough, but the developers contend that the contract requires the Water Authority to submit the issue to voters until the bonds are approved.

Sample ballots for area counties are available from the county election officer, who is usually the county clerk. An advance look will allow you to vote without that unpleasant feeling that your ballot is a pop quiz that you aren’t ready for.