Guadalupe County voters hit polls for pressing ballot issues | Alert

City of Marion voters will face a similar problem in November as they did in May as another election cycle rolls around.

City leaders canceled elections for open council seats in May because no one filed to run for the seats, which caused willing councilmen to remain in their seats as holdovers. Interest in open council seats for the upcoming election is the same, Marion Mayor Pro Tem Abigaile Maberry said.

“Because of the election not occurring in May and now no one signing up to run for council in November, we will have those seats still in that holdover clause,” she said. “So Councilman (Shane) Pawelek and Councilman (David) Bauch, who has not returned since the May election, those seats are still in the holdover clause.”

As was the case after the canceled May election, office holders remain in office until someone qualified takes their place in office. Also back in May, no one ran to replace Mayor Victor Contreras so he was a holdover.

Contreras recently resigned and left his seat vacant. Maberry said she and resident Danny Loyola filed to run for mayor on the Nov. 7 ballot.

A crucial decision also awaits voters on ballots in the Meadow Lake Water Control Improvement District, Meadow Lake WCID President Jacy Robbins said. District property owners will have to decide whether to tax themselves to pay for replacement of the lake’s dam at an estimated cost of about $15.84 million, Robbins said.

The worst-case scenario would see property owners’ tax liability increasing by about $1.02 per $100 of valuation, he said. The tax rate if approved by voters won’t be more than $1.02 per $100 of valuation but people in the district won’t know solid final amounts until all financing and interest rates are determined, Robbins said.

“Once we know exactly what’s going on with the financing and the funding, and the final engineering with bids is done — which we’re expecting toward the end of next year — we’ll really be able to finalize that tax rate,” he said. “The worst case scenario is $1.02. That’s the authorization amount the voters would be providing.”

The Guadalupe County Elections Office is conducting elections Nov. 7 for several other political subdivisions, according to information on the office’s website.

Guadalupe County will partner with Comal County to conduct an election for New Braunfels ISD, which asks voters to approve an ad valorem tax rate of $1.0419 per $100 valuation.

Green Valley Special Utility District is electing three board directors at large.

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD’s electorate will be asked to select three board trustees to serve full terms in Places 1, 2 and 3.

Some Guadalupe County voters will decide issues related to three municipal utility districts. Elections for Municipal Utility Districts No. 4, No. 6 and No. 10. Wording calling for elections in each district reads the same on the Guadalupe County Elections Office website notices.

Each is an “order calling a confirmation election, a system facilities bond election, a maintenance tax election, a road bond election, a refunding bond election and a permanent directors election” for each Guadalupe County Municipal Utility District.

Election Day is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 7 and early voting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23 through Friday, Oct. 7; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday Oct. 28; 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29; and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30 through Friday Nov. 3.

Visit the Guadalupe County Elections Office website at www.co.guadalupe.tx.us/elections/index.php for more information.