In a big win for taxpayers, voters rejected Rockwall Independent School District’s double-digit property tax increase and hundreds of millions in tax-funded bonds on the November ballot.
“We came, and we won, and it’s because the Rockwall ISD was intellectually dishonest and wouldn’t have a conversation with voters,” said Rockwall resident Eric Bott following Tuesday’s defeat of the school district’s ballot propositions.
“Taxpayers overwhelmingly rejected every single bond and the VATRE,” Bott added.
Bott helped organize a “Vote No” campaign against Rockwall ISD’s ballot propositions.
Rockwall ISD trustees had proposed a 12-cent increase in the property tax rate, triggering a mandatory Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election (VATRE).
Trustees also wanted voters to approve three bonds totaling $848 million ($1.5 billion with interest).
Bott started the advocacy group Rockwall Taxpayers for Fiscal Responsibility to help inform his neighbors about the tax impact of the bonds and how the district spends taxpayers’ money.
All four ballot propositions failed by at least a 10-point margin despite district officials spending an undisclosed amount of taxpayer dollars on a barrage of promotional mailers, signage, and videos. District administrators also met with teachers and staff on each campus to “explain” the bonds and tax increase.
Proposition D, for football stadium upgrades costing $42.9 million ($78.4 million with interest), failed by the widest margin: 61-39 percent.
In addition to the taxpayer money spent promoting the bonds and tax rate increase, several businesses that stood to benefit from the bonds contributed more than $150,000 to a pro-bond PAC.
But all the advertising failed to convince voters.
“Great win for the taxpayers of Rockwall County. Homeowners, renters and small businesses should not be saddled with massive increases in taxes and more public debt,” resident Thomas Marchetti posted on X. “Let’s look at replacing these tax and spend ISD Board members in the next election.”
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