Most Tarrant County election bonds, propositions pass easily

Voters in Tarrant County communities late Tuesday approved millions of dollars in spending for facilities such as a police station and a recreation center.

Voters also chose officials to serve on area city councils and boards, reauthorized taxes to help improve city streets and supported cities making changes to charters.

In nearby Cleburne, voters by a nearly 3-to-1 ratio approved propositions for using sales and use taxes — and $25 million in bonds — to build a minor-league baseball stadium near the edge of the Chisholm Trail Parkway.

Here’s a look at issues on the Tarrant County ballot, according to unofficial election results. This list does not include unopposed candidates.

Godley ISD: Officials with Vote Yes Godley ISD Bond say the proposal to issue $50 million in bonds for school buildings and land passed with 63 percent support. The school district is in three counties — Tarrant, Hood and Johnson. In Tarrant County, 55 percent of voters opposed the plan and in Hood County, 66 percent of voters supported the plan. Efforts to get the Johnson County portion of the vote have been unsuccessful.

Mansfield ISD: Daniel Gallagher led the five-way race to fill the unexpired term of the Place 6 trustee. He claimed 33 percent of the vote, followed by Dora O. Tovar, 24 percent; Franklin Roberts, 21 percent; Jamie Palmer, 14 percent; and Ronnie Goines, 9 percent, who dropped out of the race too late to be taken off the ballot.

Benbrook: In the race for Council Place 3, Larry Marshall won with 68 percent of the vote to Ethan Beaty’s 32 percent. In the race for Council Place 5, Jim Wilson won with 68 percent to Dan Tully’s 32 percent.

The race for the Benbrook Library District Board of Directors was tight, with Rachel Dillard claiming 29 percent, Roy C. Baird pulling 25 percent, Robert Christensen picking up 24 percent and Aubra Gantt garnering 23 percent. Voters cast ballots for three candidates.

And Pat Dunkin claimed 40 percent in the race for the Benbrook Water Authority’s board of directors, followed by Robert E. Cook and Edward E. DeMars, each with 30 percent.

Grapevine: Paul Slechta claimed 47 percent of the vote in the race for Council Place 1 to replace Mayor Pro Tem C. Shane Wilbanks, who died in August. Christian Ross drew 26 percent, Marc Blum, 18 percent and Lee Derr 19 percent.

Haltom City: Voters in this Northeast Tarrant County city weighed in on 10 proposed changes to the charter, giving support to all the measures.

Proposition 1 to let the council hire and fire the city secretary but not assistant city secretaries, drew 79 percent, Proposition 2 to pay council members $25 for every meeting they attend and the mayor $50 drew 58 percent and Proposition 3 to require city leaders to leave office if they have three unexcused absences during each term they serve generated 84 percent support.

Other measures gaining approval: requiring financial conflicts of interest and public office qualifications for the mayor and council to be governed by state law, 86 percent; stipulating that an application to run for office be turned in with two forms of ID, 93 percent; and allowing voters to remove elected officials “on the grounds of incompetency, misconduct or malfeasance,” 86 percent.

On other proposals, 86 percent voted to clarify which courts have jurisdiction over local issues; 78 percent to stipulate licensing and certification for peace and fire officials; 73 percent to amend civil service provisions; and 84 percent to allow city officials to make grammatical changes to the city charter.

Keller: A plan to continue a local sales and use tax to repair and maintain city streets drew support from 86 percent of voters.

Lake Worth: Ninety percent of voters supported continuing a local sales and use tax to repair and maintain city streets.

Richland Hills: A proposition to issue $8.9 million in bonds to build a recreation and community activity center, and park space, drew support from 56 percent of voters.

Trophy Club: Less than two years after voters rejected a nearly $12 million proposal for a joint police station/town hall, voters supported a smaller version of the plan. Final results show 840 voters supported a request for $5.4 million in bonds for the joint facility; 497 opposed it.

A plan to repeal a term limit provision that prevents a person from serving full terms in office that total more than six years failed, with 906 voters in opposition and 432 in support.

And 866 voters supported a plan, while 458 voted in opposition, to repeal language requiring the town manager to turn in a proposed budget and message to the council before Aug. 1 each year.

White Settlement: David Mann will serve as Place 4 councilman, claiming 55 percent of the vote to Danny Anderson’s 45 percent. Steve Ott won with 54 percent of the vote for Place 5 councilman, to George Klecan’s 46 percent.

And voters signed off on proposals to update the city charter to be able to call for a runoff election, (85 percent); provide time for a canvass of election results, (76 percent); provide for current council terms, (78 percent); list petition requirements (85 percent); and submit proposed ordinance to voters on election dates (83 percent).

“Local governments usually work very well and efficiently, and [it’s] difficult for citizens to get angry,” said Allan Saxe, an associate political science professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. “It operates so efficiently that most just do not recognize its operations.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Most Tarrant County election bonds, propositions pass easily."