Published: May 11, 2008 02:48 am         

Bond issues pass in Bland ISD, Commerce

It was another long, long night Saturday, as the Hunt County Voter Administation Office tallied the results from a wide range of city council, school district, bond package and other races.

Major bond issues appeared to have won the favor of voters in the City of Commerce, the Bland Independent School District and the Verandah Municipal Utility District. Here is a brief rundown of the results:

— In the City of Campbell, Terry Trapp was elected Mayor, receiving 30 votes (48.29 percent) to Geri Barnes’ 21 votes (33.87 percent) and Nick Jordan’s 11 votes (17.74 percent). Campbelll residents also approved maintaining the increased local sales and use tax of one-fourth of one percent to provide revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets by 47 votes for (82.46 percent) to 10 votes against (17.54 percent).

— In the City of Celeste, Roger Seals, John Mize and Joel Gibson won three open seats on the Council, Seals with 78 votes (32.23 percent), Mize with 62 votes (25.82 percent) and Gibson with 61 votes (25.21 percent). James L. Johnson received 41 votes (16.94 percent).

— In the City of Commerce, Quay Throgmorton was elected Mayor, claiming 276 votes (55.,09 percent) to John Sands’ 203 votes (40.62 percent) and Tim Johnson’s 22 votes (4.39 percent). Billie Biggerstaff won the Council Place 2 seat with 291 votes (60 percent) to Elmer Hall’s 152 votes (31.34 percent) and Chris Eliason’s 42 votes (8.66 percent). Bob Monday won the Place 4 seat, receiving 362 votes (74.64 percent) to Russell Lutes’ 96 votes (19.79 percent) and Billy Taylor’s 27 votes (5.57 percent). Voters in Commerce also approved a $3 million bond package for street improvements, with 285 votes for (57.69 percent) to 209 votes against (42.31 percent).

— The results for the City of Lone Oak were not released until around 11:40 p.m. Saturday, due to large reported number of write-in ballots. In the end, write-in candidate LIsa Crabtee Willis won the Mayor’s race with 57 votes (47.9 percent) to Wes Owen’s 52 votes (43.7 percent) and write-in candidate Christine Barrow’s 10 votes (8.4 percent). Write-in candidate Terri Bowman won the Pl;ace 2 Council seat, with 74 votes (63.79 percent) to Harold Slemmons’ 26 votes (22.41 percent) and Gaylon Stogner’s 16 votes (13.79 percent). Shirley Hooten Stogner won the Place 4 seat with 66 votes (57.59 percent) to Sue Hales’ 48 votes (42.11 percent).

— In the City of Quinlan, Carolyn Strickland won the City Council Place 1 seat, with 56 votes (47.41 percent) to Mike Kerr’s 37 votes (31.9 percent) and Michael Reagan’s 24 votes (20.69 percent). Richey Whitehead won the Place 3 position with 51 votes (43.97 percent) to Ash Harmon’s 36 votes (30.17 percent) and Clellen Foster’s 30 votes (25.86 percent). Richard Whitehead won the Place 5 seat on the Council with 64 votes (55.65 percent) to William R. Howell’s 51 votes (44.35 percent).

— In the City of Union Valley, Eddie “Chris” Elliott claimed 21 votes (100 percent) as the sole candidate for Mayor. Daniel Wayne Council and Michelle Oznick won two open spots on the City Commission. Council claimed 15 votes (36.59 percent) and Oznick 14 votes (34.15 percent) to Jeffrey A. Francis’ 12 votes (29.27 percent). Voters in Union Valley were also asked whether theywere in favor of a one percent sales and use tax. They voted for it with 19 votes (79.17 percent) to 5 votes against (20.83 percent). aThey also favored a non-binding referendum, to see whether they would someday support a small property tax to expand the Union Valley Fire Station and to be able to house the City Hall and possibly have a Hunt County Sheriff’s substation, by exactly the same margin, 19 votes for and 5 votes against.

— Voters in the City of Wolfe City will be chose three members of the City Council; Jimmy Ebert with 125 votes (34.82 percent), Chad Hogan with 110 votes (30.64 percent) and Bryan Creed withe 76 votes (21.17 percent). Joe Hodge received 48 votes (13.37 percent).

— And in West Tawakoni, Pete Yoho received 62 votes (100 percent) asthe only candidate for Mayor, with Gerald “Rosie” Rosebure claiming 59 votes (100 percent) as she was alone in seeking the Place 2 Council seat. Carol J. Solomon received 46 votes (64.78 percent) to win the Place 4 Council seat, while Bill J. McKee received 25 votes (35.21 percent). Edward D. Roman received no votes. Winston Dennis received 57 votes (100 percent) as the only candidate running for an unexpired term in Council Place 5.

A $15 million bond issue wasthe only item on the Bland ISD ballot and voters overwhelmingly approved the bonds to be used primarily for the construction of a new elementary school, with 172 votes for (76.44 percent) to 53 votes (23.56 percent) against.

— Voters in the Caddo Mills ISD will be chose Wes Ferrell with 175 votes (30.97 percent) and Patsy Wygal Locker with 148 votes (20.19 percent) as the district’s two trustees. Jim Ayo received 89 votes (15.75 percent), Carolyn Swafford received 88 votes (15.68 percent) and Andy Guthrey received 85 votes (11.5 percent).

— Ronny Steen and James Little won full terms on the Celeste ISD board; Steen with 219 votes (34.33 percent) and Little with 208 votes (32.6 percent). Marty Burke received 107 votes (16.77 percent) and Don Armstrong received 104 votes (16.3 percent). One candidate, Ken Wilgus, received 168 votes (100 percent) while running for an unexpired, one-year term on the board

— Jerry G. Glick and Thomas Patterson won two seats on the Lone Oak ISD board; Patterson with 203 votes 38.89 percent) and Glick with 162 votes (31.03 percent). Alan Ray Wallen received 103 votes (19.73 percent) and Jerry L. Denton received 54 votes (10.34 percent).

— Place 6 on the Quinlan ISD board will be filled by Eric Kleiber, who received 124 votes (60.19 percent) to Rodney S. Wolfe’s 82 votes (39.8 percent). Rusty Case was unopposed in seeking the Place 7 post and received 169 votes (100 percent).

— Phil Tanner and Ron Ferguson won two seats on the Wolfe City ISD board; Tanner with 204 votes (34.11 percent) and Ferguson with 171 votes (28.6 percent). Sandra Murphey received 115 votes (19.23 percent) and Sean George claimed 108 votes (18.06 percent).

— All our propositions on the Verandah Municipal Utility District ballot — $64.56 million in bonds for water, sewer and drainage improvements, $71.675 million in bonds for road improvements, $96.84 million in refunding bonds for water and sewer improvements and $107.5 million in refunding road bonds — passed with 2 votes for (100 percent) to none against. The two people, Joseph Counter and Glenn Purcell, vying for the two spots on the utility district’s board of directors each received two viotes (50 percent each) to win their seats.

— Andy Yates and Rick Little won two places on the Board of Directors of the Combined Consumers Special Utility District, Yates with 20 votes (45.45 percent) and Little with 13 voptes (29.55 percent). W. Ward Guffey claimed 11 votes for 25 percent.

— Kern Morris, Robert Childress and Troyce Woodruff won the three spots on the Board of Directors of the Hickory Creek Special Utility District. Morris received 125 votes (31.81 perrcent), Childress received 122 votes (31.04 percent) and Woodruff claimed 80 votes (20.36 percent). Bill Ashworth received 66 votes (18. 79 percent).