Deadline to file for May 6 election is here

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The deadline for filings for city and school board elections in Texas is today, Friday, Feb. 17, and, as of Thursday, several contests had developed for the May 6 elections in Burnet County.

The mayors seats in Burnet and Granite Shoals are contested and the Meadowlakes and Highland Haven city councils will be on the ballot.

In cases where none develops, as may be the case in Bertram and Marble Falls, elections will not have to be held.

Marble Falls

In Marble Falls, Mayor John Packer filed for re-election but the other three incumbents, so far, are undeclared. They are Mayor Pro Tem Jane Mare Hurst, Place 2; Rachel Austin-Cook, Place 4 and Rayan Nash, Place 6.

Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman David Rhodes had filed for Place 2 and attorney Megan Klaeger had filed for Place 6.

Granite Shoals

As of Thursday, a contest had developed in Granite Shoals, where two-time council candidate Mike Steenbergen is challenging Carl Brugger in a mayor's race.

Filing for re-election and, as yet unopposed, are businesswoman Anita Hisey and Jim Davant, a retiree who has served on the Planning & Zoning Commission and Street and Water Advisory Group, and local surveyor Todd Holland, for Places 1, 3 and 5, respectively.

Meadowlakes

Meadowlakes voters will have choices. The incumbents in Places 2, 4 and 5—Alton Fields, Clancy Stephenson, and Barry Cunningham—have said they will not run for re-election.

So far, David Baker, a retired public school administrator and frequent citizen volunteer, is unopposed for Place 2.

However, for Place 4, Mel Hazelwood, pastor of Valley Spring and Cherokee United Methodist Churches, and Edwin O’Hayre, a retired school teacher, both have filed. For Place 5, Charles E. Henley, a retired electrical engineer, and Bobby Brown, retired from both law enforcement and systems programming, have filed.

Cottonwood Shores

No race had developed as of Thursday afternoon in Cottonwood Shores.

Mayor Donald Orr, retired from engineering sales and general management in Austin's technology community, had filed for re-election.

Stephen Sherry had filed for Place 4 on the city council and Brigitte Thomas, appointed Jan. 19 to the unexpired term of Marley Porter in Place 2, filed to continue in that position.

Among local cities, Meadowlakes and Highland Haven have early closing times.

“If you are a Meadowlakes resident and wish to run, you will need to complete the necessary application form and deliver it to city hall by 4 p.m. on Friday,” said City Secretary Loren Meiner.

Highland Haven

The Highland Haven city offices close at noon today, so late filers will have to hurry. The places up for election are those held by Lonnie C. Ball, James Warren, Don Hagans and Bill Passmore.

“We have four candidates for the three, two-year terms so far,” said Jeannie Gruetzner, the new Highland Haven city secretary. “Alphabetically they are Lonnie C. Ball, an incumbent, Marvin Filla, Alvin Kahanek and Bill Passmore, an incumbent.”

Don Hagans, appointed last year, has filed to be returned for a one-year term.

MFISD

Also as of Thursday, no race had developed for the Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees.

Place 3 incumbent Lee Ann Johnson, board secretary and a professional association director, had filed for re-election.

Larry Allen Berkman filed as a candidate for Place 4, which Mike Savage will be leaving.

Incumbent Kevin Kyle Virdell, a local bank branch president, filed for re-election to Place 7.

BCISD

In the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District (BCISD), Place 3 incumbent, Craig Barefoot, a retired district administrator, has been challenged by Suzanne Brown, a local event planner.

Mark Kincaid, retired Burnet High School principal, has filed for Place 7. That seat has been held by Charles Williams, appointed by the board to serve the unexpired term of Jim Luther Jr.

In Burnet, Mayor Gary Wideman had reached his term limit and Crista Bromley, the retired former city administrative services and economic development director, filed for the position.

Burnet

Council Member Claude Ramsey “Tres” Clinton III, a pilot, had filed for re-election, but those in two other council seats up for election had not. They are Paul Farmer and Mary Jane Shanes.

Only Zachary Worrell, a firefighter and school bus driver, had filed as a new candidate.

City Secretary Kelly Dix said Thursday that five other candidate packets had been requested, but none had been returned.

Bertram

In Bertram the alderman seats held by Pat Turner, Mike Knoarik and Cindy Callihan are up for election.

Turner, a retired nurse who completed an unexpired term and was then elected, had filed for re-election to a second full term. Two more citizens had filed, according to City Secretary Georgina Hernandez. They are Jean Worrell, a school bus driver, and Allen J. Rodgers, a retired electrician and electronics technician.