Liquor option, city, school election balloting Saturday
Vote at City Hall has two races, drink issue

 Rockdale voters will decide whether to allow liquor by the drink and pick two city council members Saturday.
 Voters in the Rockdale ISD, which of course includes the city, will also select a school board member.
 If it sounds confusing, voters only need to remember one thing. All balloting is at City Hall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (For how to tell what elections you may vote in, see editorial page 6A.)
 Early voting concluded with two extended days Monday and Tuesday. A total of 233 persons cast ballots in the city election, 233 in the local option balloting and 283 in the school board race.

Local option
 The local option referendum reads: “The legal sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages.”
 Voters will cast ballots for or against. If approved, the referendum only covers businesses within the Rockdale city limits.
 The referendum was placed on the ballot after Milam County commissioners received a petition calling for legalizing mixed drinks as means to boost economic development.
 That petition bore 560 signatures, including those of 478 registered voters living within the city limits of Rockdale.

City council
 Two city council positions will be filled Saturday.
 In the east ward, incumbent Gerry Offield is opposed by Mary Phillips.
 Doug Williams and Griffin Rogers III are vying for a west ward position.
 Rudy Gutierrez, incumbent west ward councilman, did not seek re-election, as he has moved from Rockdale. Gutierrez won a special election last year to serve the remainder of Ray McClain’s term after McClain died in office.

School board
 Incumbent Barbara Grayson is opposed by Russell Fischer for Place 6 on the Rockdale ISD board of trustees.
 Lisa Gerthe, Place 7 incumbent, is unopposed.

Thorndale, Milano
 Rebecca McWilliams, Kimberly Knapek, Larry Fisher and Dean Betak are vying for two at-large places on the Thorndale ISD school board.
 Voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the school administration building, the former First Baptist Church building at 300 North Main.
 There’s also a school board election in Milano where incumbent John Paniagua is joined on the ballot by Jay Willingham, Scott Malovets and Kim Lenz in a four-person race for two positions.
 Voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the administration office at Milano Junior-High School, 500 North Fifth.

No elections
 There are no elections this spring in three entities where no contested races developed:
 Rockdale Hospital District—Dr. John M. Weed III and Dr. Lucile Estell. Weed is board president and Estell is an incumbent.
 City of Thorndale—Incumbents Sam Pickett and Jack Willis and former Mayor Gerald Niemtschk are unopposed for terms on the city council. Incumbent Allen Hejl did not seek re-election.
 City of Milano—Mayor Billy Barnett, City Councilman Edward Westbrook.

mike@rockdalereporter.com

For more subscribe to ReporterEZ>>