The Travis County Healthcare District (TCHD) is a taxing authority created by voters in 2004. The TCHD uses Travis County property taxes to fund health care for low-income residents. Texas Alliance for Life has learned that the governing Board of Managers will vote Thursday, Oct. 22, on a proposed contract with local abortion providers to use $450,000 in property taxes to pay for approximately 1,000 abortions for the next 12 months.

The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Travis County Commissioners Courtroom located in the first floor of the Granger Building, 314 West 11th St, Austin.

URGENT ACTION:

Please immediately contact the Travis County Healthcare District to oppose the proposed $450,000 abortion contract. Here are three ways:

1. Send an email message -- click here for online form: http://www.traviscountyhd.org/contact_us.html

SAMPLE (Please use your own words):

Subject: Property Tax Funding for Abortion

I understand that the Board of Managers of the Travis County Healthcare District will consider contracting with local abortion facilities to pay $450,000 per year for abortions. Abortion takes the lives of unborn children and harms their mothers. I do not want to be forced to pay for abortions with my property taxes. Tax dollars should not be used to destroy innocent human lives. Please do not pay for abortions. Please use our property taxes to help save lives, not to destroy them.

2. Make a phone call -- 512.978.8000 (leave a short message with the receptionist)

SAMPLE:

Hello, my name is   (name)  . I live in Travis County at   (address)  . Please ask the Board of Managers not to use my property tax dollars to pay for abortions. Thank you.

3. Attend the meeting:

Please consider attending the meeting of the Board of Managers. The meeting is open to the public as required by the Texas Open Meetings Act. There will be a person from Texas Alliance for Life there to help you. We need people to be present to show opposition to tax-funded abortions.

Click here for the agenda. The contract regarding property tax-funded abortions is Item #9, "regarding funding and other matters related to women's health services contracts."

You may also wish to give a short (3 min max) testimony during the Citizens' Communication (here are guidelines). The doors open at 5:15 p.m., and sign up begins at 5:30 p.m. Here is a map. Note that meeting will be held on the first floor in the Travis County Commissioners Courtroom.

Meetings are also televised live on Travis County Television, local cable station 17, and streamed online.

BACKGROUND

Texas Alliance for Life's research has revealed that the City of Austin has funded elective abortions since the 1970s. In 2004, the Travis County Healthcare District (TCHD) was created by voters to use county property taxes to pay for health care at local hospitals and clinics for low income residents. The TCHD took over the City's abortion contracts and pays for the abortions. Women get a voucher that is presented at an abortion facility to pay for the abortion.

The TCHD is governed by a Board of Managers, which must approve the abortion contract with a separate vote. The Board of Managers has nine members -- four appointed by the Travis County Commissioners, four appointed by the Austin City Council, and one jointly appointed. Each serves a four-year term. (Click on each for more information):

Thomas B Coopwood, M.D., Chairperson
Rosie Mendoza, C.P.A., Vice-Chairperson
Frank Rodriguez, Treasurer
Bobbie Barker, Secretary
Clarke Heidrick, J.D.
Donald Patrick, M.D., J.D.
Brenda Coleman-Beattie
Anthony Haley
Katrina Daniel