V. Hugh Lewis II/Jefferson Jimplecute
Marion County residents approved the creation of the Marion County Assistance District and the addition of a 1.5% sales and use tax in the county 324-247.
Early voting results had the District being approved by 7%, a margin which increased as results came in, eventually finishing up at 13.48%.
“I’m grateful that people came out and voted and saw the need we have here in Marion County. Now we have access to additional revenues to help us start restoring our roads. When a lot of our roads were built they didn’t have the traffic and population we do now. Now we can start updating and bettering our community. This is about Marion County,” said Commissioner Pct 1 JR Ashley. “This is the best thing for Marion County since Lake O’ the Pines was built.”
The District officially comes into being, and the new sales tax starts being collected, on January 1, 2022.
Precinct Breakdown
on Assistance District:
• 1: 68-20, 91 votes cast
• 2: 106-55, 164 votes cast
• 3: 17-29, 47 votes cast
• 4: 0-0, 1 vote cast but did not cast a vote on the district. Note: This is primarily a City election precinct, and residents of the City could not vote on the Assistance District
• 5: 24-34, 58 votes cast
• 6: 41-29, 71 votes cast
• 7: 4-15, 19 votes cast. This is also a partially City election precinct
• 8: 25-27, 54 votes cast. This is also a partially City election precinct
• 9: 27-29, 56 votes cast
• 10: 12-9, 21 votes cast
Vote totals
by Road Commissioner:
• Precinct 1, J.R. Ashley: Voting Precincts 1 & 2: 174-75, 255 votes cast
• Precinct 2: Jacob Pattison: Voting Precincts 3, 4 & 5: 41-63.
• Precinct 3: Ralph Meisenheimer: Voting Precincts: 6 & 7: 45-44
• Precinct 4: Charlie Treadwell: Voting Precincts 8, 9 & 10: 63-65
Overall voter turnout was just above 10% for the election with 752 of 7,475 registered voters coming to the polls.
Texas Constitutional Amendments were also approved by Marion County Voters as follows:
• Proposition 1 Authorizing professional sports team charitable organizations to conduct raffles at rodeo venues: 627-119
• Proposition 2 Authorizes a county to issue bonds to fund infrastructure and transportation projects in undeveloped and blighted areas: 485-255
• Proposition 3 Prohibits the state or any political subdivision from enacting a law, rule, order, or proclamation that limits religious services or organizations: 536-199
• Proposition 4 Changes the eligibility requirements for the following judicial offices: a justice of the supreme court, a judge of the court of criminal appeals, a justice of a court of appeals, and a district judge: 412-303
• Proposition 5 Authorizes the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct to accept and investigate complaints and reports against candidates running for state judicial office: 429-294
• Proposition 6 Residents of nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, or state-supported living centers have a right to designate an essential caregiver that may not be prohibited from visiting the resident: 644-94
• Proposition 7 Allows the legislature to extend a homestead tax limit for surviving spouses of disabled individuals as long as the spouse is 55 years old and resides at the home: 678-60
• Proposition 8 Allows the legislature to apply a homestead tax exemption for surviving spouses of members of the military to those fatally injured in the line of duty: 684-55
All results are not finalized until Commissioners have canvassed the totals at an upcoming meeting.
This was the first county election held on the new voting equipment Commissioners approved purchasing earlier this year. The new equipment is touch screen driven and has a paper ballot backup. The May 2021 City of Jefferson elections used the same equipment.
“Today we implemented the new voting machines for county elections,” said GOP Mims Voting Location election Judge Hunter Bonner. “The unsolicited feedback I received was [voters] liked the new voting machines, with countless numbers stating they ‘like the paper trail.’ They also stated that they felt it more secure that a paper ballot was being turned in. We had zero issues that could not be handled by support, and voters found the machines to be easy to use. Many of the voters stated very plainly that compared to the old machines they liked them. As a poll worker, and as election judge, having judged now 3 elections, I found the new machines to be efficient, and cut-down on a lot of downtime and were faster.”