It’s voting season! From reading the signs along the roadways and street corners, we have the ability and duty to vote for our parks, our roads, libraries, fire department, and the well-being and betterment of our town and county!
What I haven’t seen yet is a sign promoting voting for our water. Proposition 6 information specifically. Proposition 6 relates to the State Water Plan. You can find more at the Water4Texas website or at the Texas Water Foundation website.
Here’s the basics though about what Prop 6 is and what’s its purpose is:
- Proposition 6 creates and constitutionally dedicates two new funds: the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) and State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas (SWIRFT). If the voters approve Proposition 6, the legislature has also authorized a one-time, $2 billion investment from the Economic Stabilization Fund (also known as the Rainy Day Fund) to be deposited into the SWIFT for the support of water supply projects in the state water plan. These funds are designed to make the financing of water projects through bonds more affordable for local entities and ensure that consistent, ongoing state financial assistance is available so that our citizens will have adequate water supplies during drought.
- Texas grows by approximately 1200 people every day, and our state’s population is projected to nearly double by 2060. The state’s current water supplies cannot support that growth.
- The funds being invested by Prop 6 will provide low-interest loads for water supply projects. Prop 6 doesn’t provide grants–these are loans that must be repaid to the state.
- The recipients of these loans will be limited to political subdivisions of the state, such as towns and cities, to help them implement critical water supply projects, including water conservation strategies.
- The funds approved by Prop 6 will be loaned from constitutionally-dedicated accounts, which means that the funds can only be used for water supply projects included in our State Water Plan.
- The funds will be managed by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB).
- Prop 6 will not raise taxes.
Please vote this election season, and think about our water supply when voting!
