Early voting starts for cities, schools

Image
  • Early voting locations include the Marble Falls Courthouse Annex, pictured here. File photo
    Early voting locations include the Marble Falls Courthouse Annex, pictured here. File photo
Body

Early voting for the Saturday, May 1, election begins Monday, April 19, and continues through Tuesday, April 27, at two locations in Burnet County.

Voters can cast their ballots at the Marble Falls Courthouse South Annex, 810 Steve Hawkins Pkwy., and the Burnet AgriLife Extension Auditorium, 607 N. Vandeveer St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 19-21, April 23 and April 27 and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 22 and April 26.

Marble Falls

Marble Falls voters will elect a new mayor and three councilmembers. Incumbent Mayor John Packer is ineligible to run, having reached his limit of three consecutive terms.

Running for the position are two incumbent councilmembers, Mayor Pro Tem and Place 5 member Richard Westerman and Place 3 member Rene Rosales. Regardless of which man wins, the other will still continue to serve out the remainder of his term as a councilmember.

Three candidates are seeking the Place 4 seat. Incumbent Celia Merrill is being challenged by Clayton G. Burney and Bryan G. Walker. Two other incumbents are running unopposed for their seats — Place 2 member Dave Rhodes and Place 6 member Reed H. Norman.

Cottonwood Shores

There is a bond proposition on the Cottonwood Shores ballot that would allow the city to reauthorize a local sales tax of 0.25 percent to generate revenue for municipal street maintenance and repair.

Incumbent Mayor Francis Donald Orr and two incumbent councilmembers — Brigitte Stella Thomas (Place 2) and Michael Ray Hibdon (Place 4) — are running unopposed for the council.

Burnet CISD

The Burnet Consolidated Independent School District has four bond measures on the ballot. District officials said the bond would help the district prepare for student enrollment growth, take advantage of lower construction costs and interest rates, and protect and preserve the daily operating budget:

• Proposition A - $27,496,000 for facility improvements and accommodations for student growth, including expansion of Bertram Elementary School;

• Proposition B - $11,805,000 for middle and high school athletic facilities;

• Proposition C - $4,288,000 for instructional technology, infrastructure, and campus security;

• Proposition D - $8,915,000 for a multipurpose student activities center.

In 2019, voters rejected a $33.1 million bond proposal which would have covered a multitude of improvements, including roof repairs at three campuses, as well as campus additions designed to accommodate a growing student population, new buses, HVAC upgrades and a number of security initiatives.

Burnet CISD officials wanted to hold a bond election on two propositions totaling $29.66 million last May, but postponed it due to concerns about COVID-19.

City of Burnet

Burnet city voters will elect a mayor and three city councilmembers. While incumbent Mayor Crista Goble Bromley is running unopposed, there are four people running for the three council seats available.

Incumbent Cindia Talamantez is joined on the ballot by Ricky Langley, Glen Allen Gates and Joyce Laudenschlager.

Bertram

The city of Bertram has both a bond election on the ballot as well as contested races for an unexpired mayoral term and three council positions.

The bond election would reauthorize the city’s local sales tax allocation of 0.25 percent to generate revenue for municipal street repair and maintenance. Such bond measures expire after four years unless they are reauthorized by the electorate.

The position of mayor is open after Adam Worden resigned following a move out of the city limits. Three people are seeking to finish out his unexpired term: Jean Worrell, Madison Stacy and current Councilmember Mike Dickinson, who did not run for re-election to his council seat.

Meanwhile, five people are seeking the three available council seats: incumbents John Baladez and Pat Turner are joined on the ballot by Lane Shipp, Bryan Lynch and Jane Scheidler.

More information

The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Tuesday, April 20. Applications must be received — not postmarked — by this date.

Election day voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 1. Voters can cast a ballot at any of the election day vote centers within the county. Election day vote centers include the following:

• Burnet AgriLife Extension Auditorium, 607 N. Vandeveer.

• Silver Creek Community Center, 101 County Road 128.

• Cassie Subdivision Community Center, 3920 FM 690.

• Bertram Library, 170 N. Gabriel.

• Briggs Community Center, 215 Loop 308.

• Marble Falls Courthouse Annex, 810 Steve Hawkins Pkwy.

For more information, see the Elections page on burnetcountytexas.org.

Election Dates

Early voting: April 19-27

Election day: May 1