SATX-BNE: Impact 11/4/2025

Nov. 4 is Election Day, featuring ballot items for Boerne ISD, Bexar County and state voters to consider.

The overview: Boerne ISD voters will decide on the district’s first voter-approval tax rate election, or VATRE, designed to support teacher salaries and provide funds for capital improvements outside of bonds and other funding mechanisms.

For fiscal year 2025-26, the average taxable value on BISD residential properties is $488,000, and a property owner would pay $4,938 annually. Compared to FY 2024-25, the proposed VATRE tax rate would result in an average decrease of $80 in overall taxes paid, assuming the homestead exemption propositions pass.

According to early voting turnouts, Kendall County had 4,983, or 12.62% of registered voters, who cast a ballot during the early voting period. Election Day will be the last opportunity to submit a ballot, with polling locations open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

A new space for both childcare and professional co-working just launched in the Boerne area.

What’s happening: The Play Patch opened on Nov. 1 at 9091 Fair Oaks Parkway, Ste. 205 in Fair Oaks Ranch.

Owner Tessa Waghorn said she wanted to create a community for children and parents alike in the area.

“I wanted to create a space for kids to learn and parents to intermingle,” Waghorn said.

Previously a teacher and native of Durban, South Africa, Waghorn said she missed seeing children learn and grow.

Learn more: The new business contains both unique play spaces and rooms for children ages 6 months to 6 years old, plus several work spaces for parents, Waghorn said.

“The main idea is for the space to be used for families who are busy and need a place to connect and have their children safely play.”

• 9091 Fair Oaks Parkway, Ste. 205, Fair Oaks Ranch

The Bexar County Commissioners Court approved an extension of the ban on outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of the county Oct. 28.

What you need to know: Due to dry conditions, high winds and a large buildup of dry vegetation and debris, the burn ban has been extended for an additional 90 days, beginning Nov. 11 and ending Feb. 9, 2026.

Under the ban, private residences in unincorporated areas of the county are restricted to burning household trash and other domestic waste in enclosures such as burn barrels equipped with metal wire mesh screens to prevent sparks and flames from spreading.

A violation of the burn ban is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.  

Election Day is Nov. 4. Polling places across Texas will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., according to the secretary of state’s office.

The overview: Voters in the following counties can vote at any polling place within their county of residence through the countywide voting program: Bastrop, Bexar, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Fort Bend, Galveston, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson. Registered voters in other counties are required to visit a polling place specific to their voting precinct.

On the ballot: Texas voters will decide on 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution during the Nov. 4 election. Each proposition was approved by at least two-thirds of state lawmakers this spring before being placed on the ballot.

Voters in various communities across the state may also see local propositions and races on their ballots, including a 20% tax rate increase in Austin, a congressional race in Harris County and a state Senate race in Tarrant County.

Learn more: To get to know the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.