Published: April 28, 2008 05:02 pm      

Early voting begins for area cities, schools and drainage district

By Tommy Mann Jr.

The Orange Leader



The countdown for the May 10 elections is underway as early voting began Monday and continues through May 6 across Orange County.

The city of Orange leads the way with the biggest scheduled election in the county as eight candidates are vying for three positions, including mayor.

Incumbent William Brown Claybar hopes to retain the office of mayor, but will face opposition from opponent Charles E. Atkinson.

Place 1 council member Theresa Beauchamp will also seek re-election and will face off against Glen David Prince, while Place 3 council member Cynthia Jackson will face opposition from challengers Jeff Mayea Holland, Norman L. Sonnier and Mary Ann Kirksey.

The city of Pinehurst has scheduled an election for May 10 as two at-large council positions are open.

Incumbents Bob Williams and John Zerko, both of whom filed to seek re-election, will face opposition from Drusilla Anderson and Enand Young Jr. The two candidates receiving the most votes will win the council positions.

Billy Permenter, the interim mayor since Jerry Hussey resigned last September, chose not to retain the office this election. However, current council member T.W. Permenter has filed for the office of mayor and has no opposition.

Residents wishing to vote early in the city of Orange or Pinehurst elections may do so at the Orange Public Library from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and May 6 only, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday through Monday, May 5.

The Orange County Drainage District also has two precincts with opposition this election.

In Precinct 2, candidates J.B. Arrington and James “Pete” Bean will go head-to-head for the office, while Jimmy Scales and Clyde M. Chesson oppose one another for the Precinct 4 position.

Early voting is scheduled at the drainage district office, which is located at 8081 Old Highway 90 in Orange, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through May 6.

The city of Vidor will have an election for the Place 3 council seat as incumbent Mike Harris will face opposition from challenger John Robert Morris IV. In 2007 Harris ran for the office of mayor unsuccessfully.

Incumbents Weldon LeBlanc, Place 2, and Dale Madeley, Place 5, are unopposed.

North of Vidor in Pine Forest, three city council seats are up for re-election and it appears at least two will be occupied by new council members.

Place 2 council person Dana Dryden and Place 4 council member James Brown both chose not to file for re-election this year, but Place 3 council person Charlatte Whitehead will try to keep her council seat as she will face off against challenger Clinton Lee Gordon in the May 10 election.

Don Lemp has filed for the Place 2 seat and former council member Mike Millican has filed the required paperwork for the Place 4 seat. Neither candidate is being opposed.

The Vidor Independent School District has two seats open on the Board of Trustees this spring, and one will be occupied by a new board member.

Rollie Burr announced he would not seek re-election this year after serving more than 15 years on the Board of Trustees, thus leaving the Position 6 seat open.

Joe Williamson, a former Vidor ISD superintendent, has decided to participate in the May election and will seek the vacated seat but will face opposition from Joe David Camp, who decided to run for the position because he has children in the Vidor school system.

Tim Harland, the current Position 7 school board member, will be unopposed.

Vidor ISD is also seeking voter approval for a bond election on May 10.

The district has presented a $61.6 million bond, which has been split into two proposals, to district patrons.

If approved, every district campus would see renovations and repairs made to district facilities, and a new administration building to replace the current structure which has been utilized for more than 40 years and was a bank prior to that.

Early voting continues today thorough May 6 in the board room of the Vidor ISD Administration Building for both the Vidor school district and city council races.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Consolidated Independent School District will also seek voter approval for its bond election.

Earlier this year, the Board of Trustees for the LC-M school district unanimously approved calling for a $40 million bond election, which would basically include construction of a new high school at the site of the current campus.

All other campuses in the school district would see repairs and renovations as well, especially to the traffic lanes and roadways at Little Cypress Intermediate, Little Cypress Elementary, Mauriceville Middle School and Mauriceville Elementary, which are located in close proximity to one another in their respective communities.

Early voting is being held at the LC-M CISD Administration Building from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through May 6, but will last until 8 p.m. today and May 6 only.

Early voting will also take place at Mauriceville Middle School, but only on May 3 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.



Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com