Early voting starts April 24 in city and school district races
FROM STAFF REPORTS
BURNET — While presidential and gubernatorial elections garner a lot of attention, it’s often the local city councils and school boards that have a direct impact on residents’ lives, making the May elections an important part of the civic landscape.
Several local municipalities and school boards have seats on the Saturday, May 6, ballot as well as a few communities with a proposition or two for voters.
Registered voters don’t have to wait until May 6; they can cast their ballot during the early voting period April 24-May 2. Early voting times and locations differ among counties and even municipalities, if they are running the election.
In Burnet County, the two early polling locations are the Burnet County Courthouse, 220 S. Pierce St. in Burnet, and the Courthouse South Annex, 810 Steve Hawkins Parkway in Marble Falls.
Voting times and dates at the two locations are:
- 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 24-26, April 28, and May 2
- 7 a.m.-7 p.m. April 27 and May 1
In the city of Llano’s special election, the early polling location is the Llano County Library, 102 E. Haynie in Llano.
Voting times and dates are:
- 7 a.m.-7 p.m. April 24 and May 1
- 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. April 25-28 and May 2.
On the ballot is where things differ quite a bit.
In the city of Llano, voters are being asked to consider three items: one that involves alcohol sales and two that would fund street repairs and parks and recreation projects.
- Local Option (vote “for” or “against”) — The legal sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed beverages.
- Proposition 1 (vote “for” or “against”) — The issuance of $4,785,000 tax bonds for improvements to streets and roads and related projects.
- Proposition 2 (vote “for” or “against”) — The issuance of $500,000 tax bonds for city parks and recreational improvements and related projects.
Click HERE to learn more about the Llano ballot.
Burnet Consolidated Independent School District voters have two races on the ballot, but only one is contested.
In the Place 3 spot, Suzanne Brown is running unopposed, but in Place 7, three people are vying for the one seat at the table: Mark Kincaid, Kerry Carroll, and Ross Behrens.
Sticking in Burnet, voters have three contested city council races.
These are:
- Mayor (vote for none or one) — Phillip Thurman and Crista Goble Bromley
- Council members (vote for none, one, two, or three) — Paul Farmer, Zack Worrell, Cindia Talamantez, Tres Clinton, and Ashley Barnett.
- City council, unexpired term (vote for none or one) — Milton “Mickey” Phair, Zachary DeLeon, and Paul Shell.
In Bertram, there’s a council race and a proposition on the ballot.
- Council race (vote for none, one, two, or three) — Pat Turner, Jane Scheidler, Jean Worrell, Mick Dickinson, and Allen Rodgers.
- Proposition 1 (vote “for” or “against”) — The reauthorization of the local sales and use tax in Bertram at the rate of one-quarter of one percent (1/4%) to continue providing revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets.
Over in Cottonwood Shores, the mayor and two city council races have already been declared because only one person filed for each seat up for election this spring. Voters can still have a say in the finances of the city in the lone proposition on the ballot.
Proposition 1 (vote “for” or “against”) — Shall the City Council of the City of Cottonwood Shores, Texas, be reauthorized to impose a local sales and use tax in the City of Cottonwood Shores, Texas, at the rate of one-fourth (1/4) of one percent (1%) to continue providing maintenance and repair for municipal streets?
Granite Shoals voters have a mayoral choice before them as incumbent Carl Brugger faces challenger Mike Steenbergen. The other three spots in the May election have already been declared since only one person filed for each of those positions.
Meadowlakes voters have three city council seats on the ballot, but only two are contested races. David Baker drew no opponent for Place 2, so he’s pretty much sealed the deal.
The other two are:
- Place 4 (vote for none or one) — Edwin O’Hayre and Mel Halewood
- Place 5 (vote for none or one) — Bobby Brown and Charles Henley
In the Marble Falls school district race, with only one person filing for the seats on the ballot, the race has already been declared. The same holds true in the city of Marble Falls, but with one caveat. While the mayor’s race and Place 2 and 6 are already determined because each spot only drew one contender, nobody filed for Place 4. So the council will eventually appoint someone to fill that spot.
For more information on these elections, go to co.llano.tx.us for Llano County and burnetcountytexas.org for Burnet County. Go to votetexas.gov for more election information and resources as well.