AUSTIN, Texas – “Vote Here” signs are spread across the city of Austin at dozens of polling centers.

Inside, multiple candidates and propositions are on the ballot for voters to choose from. 

There are six “dis-annexation” propositions, allowing residents of several outlying areas to vote on whether to remove themselves from Austin city limits. 

The major selling point for these propositions is that they will lower property taxes. 

“Oh, I’m for sure voting against,” said Malone resident Dave Kemper.

“We voted yes for the dis-annexation, mainly because we want to see the property taxes go down,” said Lost Creek resident Joe Wempe.

The city would phase out property taxes once a neighborhood’s debt is paid.

Residents would still pay school property taxes.

The ballot measures were prompted by legislation passed in the Texas legislature in 2023.

Each of the neighborhoods was brought into the city boundary about 10 years ago.

“We are our own little community, and I think that’s how we should be treated,” said Lost Creek resident, Rachel Cole.

Austin Police and Fire Departments would no longer serve “dis-annexed” neighborhoods.

Instead, Travis County would handle law enforcement and fire response. Some services would discontinue,like trash from Austin resource recovery.

“I mean, not to disparage the county, but it’s not broken. So why would we fix it? Like, the city has done a great job with our trash,” Kemper said.

2024 TEXAS RUNOFF ELECTIONS COVERAGE

The possibility of dis-annexation comes with concerns surrounding emergency services for some residents.

“As a mom of three kids, I want the best emergency response that I can get. So, if I call 911, I want a quick response,” said Cole.

Others welcome the thought of a possible change.

“Maybe we have better police control here, because we have seen more crime in the area,” said Lost Creek resident Donna Wempe. 

The residents were able to take their decision to the polls, with the final votes cast on Saturday.

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE) — Parts of Texas are gearing up for more severe weather this weekend. The state has already experienced torrential downpours and flooding in the southeast part of Texas, along with tornadoes out west.

National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Fogarty advises residents to be cautious and smart.

It’s somewhat more nuisance flooding than anything else but some places could -the low water crossings get flooded, that could be a problem and people should be very aware of that and stay away,” he said.

He said there most likely won’t be anything similar in Austin to what’s been happening over the last few days in the Houston area, where people have been trapped and needed rescuing due to the torrential downpours.

Waters from the nearby San Jacinto River have continued to rise, from about 1 foot (0.30 meters) Friday to about 4 feet (1.22 meters) Saturday.

A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night, bringing another 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) of water to the soaked region and the likelihood of major flooding.

Wes Rapaport with the Texas Department of Emergency Management emphasized that residents should still be ready for anything.

It’s so important to acknowledge Texans need to keep their guard on weekends like this where there’s an ongoing severe weather and flash flooding threat and it’s really important to stay weather aware,” he said.

Rapaport recommends having a safety kit in your home filled with different items in the event you lose power or become stranded.

“The storm prediction center has a scale where they talk about the chance of severe thunderstorms and for the weekend right now, the way it looks right now in the Austin area, it’s a level 1 out of 5,” Fogarty said. But that weather will also likely affect travel.

Glynda Chu with the Texas Department of Transportation is warning residents to not venture out if you don’t need to and stay home if you can.

She said to pull off of the highway and find shelter in the event of a hailstorm, but do not, under any circumstances, pull over underneath an overpass.

“Other drivers are seeking shelter, the visibility is limited which could increase the possibility of having a crash,” she said. “But also, overpasses are not safe when there’s high winds or tornadoes.”

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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.