Local voters approved bonds for a new Bowie Elementary School and other significant improvements throughout the Greenville Independent School District.
Saturday’s election also saw three Greenville ISD board members and a new Greenville City Council member chosen, while ballots were cast in city council and school board races across Hunt County.
— The biggest contest of the night was the proposed $72.25 bond for the Greenville ISD. The controversial measure passed Saturday by a total of 1,062 votes for (53.5 percent) to 923 votes against (46.5 percent), along with 5 “under votes”, in which the ballot was apparently turned in without a vote on the measure.
The vote total represented a 15.25 percent turnout for the citywide election.
The bond will provide funding for constructing a new Bowie Elementary School; constructing a Career and Technology Academy addition and renovation of the existing high school CTE space and additional impprovements at all of the district’s campuses.
“We’re all excited,” said Greenville ISD Superintendent Don Jefferies upon hearing the news pf the bond’s passage. “It says a lot for where Greenville is. It says a lot about what the community wants to do for the children. I think Greenville has turned a corner from the negative views of the past.”
The bonds will cost district taxpayers approximately $150 million over 30 years in principal and interest.
— Places 2, 3 and 4 on the Greenville ISD board were also on Saturday’s ballot. Place 2 incumbent Tom Durham was unseated by Trena Stafford. Stafford received 157 votes (63.56 percent) to Durham’s 90 votes (36.44 percent)
incumbent Place 3 board member Dr. Kim Hunt Butcher won another term, receiving 375 votes (67.57 percent) to Michael Phillips’ 180 votes (32.43 percent).
And Lesley Overstreet received 262 votes (70.81 percent) to win the Place 4 seat over Mitchal Vaughn’s 108 votes (29.19 percent).
— The Place 4 seat on the Greenville City Council was also decided Saturday. Holly Gotcher received 119 votes (78.29 percent) to best Ramona B. Tiscareno’s 33 votes (21.71 percent).
— The Caddo Mills ISD election saw Patsy Wygal Locker and Rueben Terry win the approval of voters.
— Voters in the City of Celeste chose Felicia White, Joel Gibson and Doug Milton for the city council. Proposition 1 on the ballot, a reauthorization of one-quarter of one percent of sales taxes to provide revenue for maintaining and repairing local streets, passed with 75 votes for (94.94 percent) to 4 votes against (5.06 percent).
— The Celeste ISD election saw Chris Barnard and Deven Tenney selected as trustees.
— Voters in the City of Lone Oak chose Christene Barrow for Place 3 on the city council and Gordon Galloway for Place 4 on the council. Douglas E. Williams Jr. was unopposed in seeking the mayor’s post and Lacy “LaLa” Astoraga was unopposed in seeking Place 2 on the council. The Lone Oak ISD electon resulted in Mike Jones and Thomas Patterson winning seats on the bpard.
— Voters in the City of Quinlan chose Carolyn Strickland for Place 1 on the city council, while Tommy Underwood was unopposed for the Place 3 seat and Miguel Serrano was unopposed in seeking the Place 5 post. The Quinlan ISD election culminated with Eric A. Kleiber defeating Rodney S. Wolfe for Place 6 on the school board. while Rusty Case was unopposed in Place 7.
— The Wolfe City ISD election saw Phillip Tanner defeat David Caldwell for Place 1 on the board, while Ronald Ferguson was unopposed in Place 7.
— The Hickory Creek Special Utility District election saw Frances Caplinger, James Walker and Brandon Lamm win seats on the board.
Herald-Banner reporter Joseph Hamrick contributed to this report.
