City council candidate Richard Coppedge and Jason Barcak and school trustee Julia Cardona won contested races Saturday in city and school balloting in Rockdale.
In Thorndale, school district voters rejected all three bond issue proposals which would have assured a new high school and changed the face of the TISD complex on the current footprint.
Thorndale city voters got a new mayor and replaced a city councilman while two Milano ISD incumbents were returned.
FIVE VOTES—The closest race, and the lowest turnout, was in the three-candidate Rock-dale City East Ward.
Coppedge polled 47 votes to 24 for Sharon Cloud and 18 for Tim Ramey for the seat being vacated by Willie Phillips.
The Rockdale City Charter states a majority vote is needed for a win. Coppedge’s total of 47 is five over 50 percent.
Saturday’s results are not official until they are canvassed by the council. That will happened during the regular May meeting, set for 5:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
It was a different story in the west ward where Jason Barcak polled 155 votes to 90 for Monique Gebhart to take the position becoming vacated by Colby Fisher.
SCHOOL BOARD—In the only contested school board race, Place 7 incumbent Julia Cardona easily won another term, drawing 334 votes to 79 for challenger Ryan Warner.
Three other incumbents were returned, running unopposed. Totals: Raymon Puente, Place 1, 372; Troy Zinn, Place 2, 340; Charles Miles, Place 4, 361.
‘NO’ AGAIN—Thorndale ISD voters rejected all three bond proposals, but it was much closer than a similar package proposed last year.
Proposition A failed 272-236, Proposition B went down 260-246 and Proposition C was defeated 280-227.
Proposition A ($9,870,000) would have constructed a new two-story, 19-classroom high school, plus multiple renovations including moving the middle school into the current high school building.
Proposition B ($2,390,000) would have expanded and renovated the current band hall, plus more renovations including adding heating/AC to areas.
Proposition C ($680,000) would have resurfaced the TISD track and added parking.
Each was presented as a standalone option. Taxes would have gone up between 2.62 and 44.85 cents depending on which options were approved.
Last year TISD voters rejected a $12.5-million bond proposal 229-168.
‘COME TOGETHER’—
Supt. Adam Ivy asked the community to rally together after the vote.
“I know that there are drastically different opinions about this outcome but I ask that our community remember—the great thing about Thorndale is the way you all come together to support our kids even when you don’t agree.”
“I am not certain how we will proceed with future projects but I can promise that we will continue to have school and take care of the needs of our students,” Ivy said. “We will look for different ways to make our campuses more secure and innovative ways to fund improvement projects.”
The results were canvassed by trustees in a special session Tuesday.
COUNCIL CHANGES—There were big changes from Thorndale city balloting where the current mayor was defeated and a former mayor won a term on the city council.
George Galbreath, an incumbent city councilman who passed up a re-election bid to run for mayor, unseated current Mayor Mara McDowell 140 to 100.
In a five-candidate race for three at-large council positions, incumbent Sam Pickett lost his seat.
Steven Zuehlke and Wayne Green led the voting with 178 and 137 votes, respectively. Allen Hejl polled 102 to edge Pickett with 91 and Ashleigh (Towery) Moehling drew 81.
Hejl is a former mayor and former city council member.
Two incumbents were returned to the Thorndale ISD board of trustees Saturday in a three-person at-large race for two positions.
Ann Glenn drew 350 votes and Adam Fisher polled 250, 13 votes more than challenger Trey Gilchrist with 237.
MILANO—Incumbents John Yakesch and Shawn Walton won new terms on the Milano ISD school board, polling 80 and 49 votes, respectively, in a three-candidate race for two positions.
Challenger Amanda Honeycutt Cain drew 36.
Running unopposed in the city council election, incumbent Michael Andrews received 76 votes.
There remains one council vacancy.
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