Texas County voters will travel tomorrow (April 2) to polls to decide an array of races and issues.
Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Everything from school board races to city council seats will be on the ballot. A sample ballot appeared in last week’s newspaper. Candidate questionnaires appeared over a two-week period.
Here is a look at contested races.
COUNTY BOARDS
Two candidates are vying for one, five-year position on the Texas County Memorial Hospital board of trustees. They are George Sholtz and Jennifer Hugenot.
Jim McNiell, Jordan Goodwin and Rowdy Douglas are seeking two, four-year terms in District 1 of Texas County Emergency Services – 911. Running in District 2 (two to elect for four-year terms) are David Scantlin, Mike Jackson and JD Jordan.
SCHOOL BOARDS
Two, three-year terms will be decided on the Houston board of education. Incumbents Jeff Crites and Charlie Malam are joined by David Adkison, Britt Shelby, Bob Wolfe and Marty Merckling.
At Summersville, three names appear on the ballot for two, three-year terms: Max Racicot, Matthew Briggs and Dustin Cooper.
Patty Handley, Kristi Atterberry and Robert Murray are seeking two, three-year terms on the Plato board of education.
At Licking, two, three-year positions are open. Filing are: Rawly Gorman, Jeremy Rinne, Joseph L. Satterfield and Tammy M. Sullins. The only candidate for a one-year term is Jake Floyd.
COUNCILS
Sam Kelley is challenging incumbent Kevin Stilley for a two-year term in Ward I. Sheila Campbell-Walker is unopposed for a two-year term in Ward II. Incumbent Don Romines is opposed by David Higgins Sr. and Kimberly Bittle for a two-year term in Ward III.
James H. Gray is challenging Cabool Mayor Danny Cannon for a two-year mayor’s seat. In Cabool’s Ward I, incumbent Kate Ellison is opposed by Nick Masters for a two-year term. John Williams is unopposed for Ward II at Cabool.
BALLOT ISSUES
Raymondville residents will decide a 1 percent sales tax and whether to forgo an annual village election in 2025 if the number of candidates filing is equal to the number of positions to be filled.
At Licking, voters will decide a proposed 3 percent sales tax on all retail sales of adult use marijuana.
Patrons of the Houston School District will vote on a $3 million bond issue to construct a new track, furnish an outdoor facility, install a turf field, pre-pay principal on existing lease financings and complete other repairs and improvements on campus. If authorized, the levy would be unchanged — the current 80 cents for each $100 assessed valuation. A four-sevenths majority (57.14 percent) is required for passage.
The exact ballot language for issues appears on the sample ballot included with last week’s newspaper.