ENNIS, Texas — Ennis voters will be asked on November 3 whether to reauthorize the City’s ¼-cent Street Maintenance and Repair Sales Tax, which is scheduled to expire March 31, 2027. In addition to the information below, the linked 2026 Streets Sales Tax Video provides a brief overview.

Voters first approved the tax in November 2014 and have reauthorized it twice since. Early voting runs from Monday, October 19 through Friday October 30 with polling location in Ennis at Ellis County Sub-Courthouse Precinct #1 located at 207 S. Sonoma Trail in Ennis. (Additional locations throughout Ellis County can be obtained from the City’s Election webpage: https://www.ennistx.gov/election-administration)

On voting day, Tuesday, November 3, the polls will be open from 7 am to 7 pm with the following locations in Ennis: Ellis County Sub-Courthouse Precinct 1 at 207 S. Sonoma Trail, Ennis Public Library at 501 W Ennis Avenue, and Faith Assembly of God Church at 1810 W Baldridge Street. For more information about early and election day voting, go to our website at ennnistx.gov.

The City is providing this information to help residents understand what is on the ballot and the condition of local streets. It does not advocate for or against the proposition.

What is on the ballot
The proposition asks whether the City may continue collecting a ¼-cent sales and use tax dedicated to maintaining and repairing existing City streets and sidewalks. That equals 25 cents on a $100 purchase. Official ballot language is as follows: “The reauthorization of the local sales and use tax in the City of Ennis, Texas, at the rate of 0.0025 to continue providing revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets. The tax expires on the fourth anniversary of the date of this election unless the imposition of the tax is reauthorized.”

Reauthorization would not raise the tax rate. The combined City sales and use tax rate would stay at 2.0 percent, including portions dedicated to economic development and to crime control and prevention. The tax is scheduled to expire March 31, 2027, if voters do not reauthorize it. The total city local rate would be reduced to 1.75%.

How the money can be used
State law and the ballot proposition limit the funds to repair existing City streets and sidewalks. State and federal routes within City limits are not eligible.

Since collections began in April 2015, the tax has generated more than $13.9 Million, including $1.47 Million in Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Those funds paid for base stabilization and surface repairs on 15 streets. City staff say additional streets remain in need of repair.

Why streets need maintenance
Ennis maintains more than 260 lane-miles of streets, along with sidewalks. Like many U.S. cities, it faces long-term maintenance and replacement costs. Local expansive soils, which shift as moisture changes and are a key factor in road failures here, and significant population growth adds to the challenge. An overview of streets maintenance and repair information was shared at the October 12, 2026, City Commission Streets Workshop. An annotated Streets Workshop Slide Deck is available in addition to the full-length Streets Workshop Recording.

What repairs cost
A street includes more than the visible surface. A typical roadway has an underlying base and subgrade, and their condition determines whether a road can be preserved with a light surface treatment or needs deeper reconstruction. Depending on that condition, a project may involve:

• crack or joint sealing;
• a seal coat;
• an asphalt overlay;
• milling and overlaying existing pavement;
• localized base repairs; or
• full-depth reclamation and complete reconstruction.

As pavement deteriorates, repair options generally become more extensive and expensive. Repairs also tend to cost less when coordinated with underground utility work, such as water, wastewater or stormwater lines.

As a result, there is no single cost for repairing a street. Crack sealing can cost a few dollars per linear foot, Full reconstruction of a municipal street in the Dallas–Fort Worth region can typically cost about $1.2 million to $4.6 million per lane-mile, depending on the pavement condition, roadway design, drainage, utilities, sidewalks, traffic-control requirements, and other site-specific factors. Actual costs also vary with utility adjustments, project size, material prices, engineering, mobilization and traffic control.

For additional information, please contact City Hall at (972) 875-1234 or press@ennistx.gov.

The City does not encourage or discourage a vote for or against the proposition. Residents should review the official ballot language and make their own decision.