In an effort to help voters understand the controversial ACC initiative that will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot for residents who live in the Bastrop Independent School District, a new feature began last Saturday on page A4 in the newspaper and will run on the website in a new category under opinions called “ACC pros and cons.”

Eight community members have been asked to address four separate issues surrounding the move to bring an ACC campus into Bastrop. These editorials will be presented in a “pro and con, side by side” format in the next four Saturday editions of The Bastrop Advertiser.

“We know that the ACC initiative is a complicated issue and that many people have strong feelings on both sides of this issue,” said Mark Gwin, publisher of The Advertiser. “It is hoped that by presenting editorials, along with staff-generated stories, that voters will feel more empowered when they go to the polls on Nov. 2.”

People from each side of the issue were given the opportunity to weigh in on the four subjects to be addressed.

The four questions that were posed to the authors are:

n What is Bastrop’s number one higher education need and does ACC satisfy that need? Publishes today, Sept. 4 with Kay Wesson authoring the pro side and Herb Goldsmith authoring the con side.

n Is ACC the highest and best use of taxpayer post secondary education dollars?

Publishes Saturday, Sept. 11 with Tom Scott, pro and G.A. Lewis, con.

n What is the impact of the ACC annexation and who controls the tax rate?

Publishes Saturday, Sept. 18 with Joe Beal, pro and Norbert Simon, con.

n What are the payoffs, if any, versus the costs of Bastrop joining the ACC district? Publishes Saturday, Sept. 25 with Olivia Boyce, pro and Bob Parmelee, con.