Local liquor option passes

Graham’s local option for the legal sale of alcoholic mixed beverages passed Saturday night, after votes were counted in the May 7 election.

The election issue was placed on the ballot Feb. 8, following a petition filed by the Graham Wet Committee which reached the required number of signatures to be placed on the ballot.

The proposition was among other races on the May ballot. Entities within Young County which had seats up for election were Graham ISD, Graham Hospital District, Olney Hamilton Hospital and Newcastle ISD.

A bond election was held for Olney ISD for the issuance of $6 million in bonds for the construction, acquisition and equipment for recreational facilities related to the baseball and softball fields and facilities. The only elections with contested seats were GISD, Graham Hospital District and OISD.

In Young County, 1,927 voters, or 16.43%, of 11,730 registered voters cast votes during the May general, constitutional and special elections.

Early voting took place beginning April 25. Before polls opened Saturday, 1,321 voters, or 9%, of the county’s 11,730 registered voters took part in early voting. The deadline to register to vote in the elections was Thursday, April 7.

All election results are unofficial. Official results will be available at a later date, pending certification and canvassing by Young County.

City of Graham Special Election
Proposition A for the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed beverages, within the city limits of Graham passed with 516 votes, or 56.52% of the total vote. The proposition received 397 votes against, or 43.38% of the total vote.

Graham ISD Board of Trustees Election
The Graham ISD Board of Trustees had three places up for election in May, which were Places 3, 4 and 5 held by Rachel Lauster, Chris Blanton and Dr. Pat Martin, respectively. Incumbent Lauster and new candidate Lauren Mahaney filed for Place 3, Blanton was the sole filing for Place 4, and new candidates Jason Smith and Jerry Overton filed for Place 5.

Running uncontested, Blanton retained Place 4, receiving 1,141 votes. Mahaney ousted the incumbent for Place 3 with 777 votes, or 56.3%, with Lauster receiving 603 votes. Smith won the election for Place 5 with 888 votes, or 64.3%, with Overton receiving 493 votes.

Graham Hospital District Directors Election
The Graham Hospital District Board of Directors had three seats up for election in May, held by Wyatt Pettus, Sylvia Overton and Suzy Graham. Incumbents Pettus, Overton and Graham filed for reelection, as well as new candidate, Jim Andrews.
Graham (732 votes, or 27.31%), Pettus (679 votes, or 25.34%) and Overton (655 votes, or 24.44%) all retained their seats. Andrews received 614 votes.

Olney ISD Special Bond Election
The Olney ISD bond election failed with 198 votes against, or 53.37% of the total vote. The bond received 173 support votes, or 46.63%.

Olney ISD Board of Trustees Election
The Olney ISD Board of Trustees had three places up for election, which were Places 3, 4 and 5 held by Jake Bailey, Jeff Harvey and Len Bernhardt, respectively. Incumbent Bailey was the sole filing for Place 3, incumbent Harvey filed for Place 4, along with new candidate Chris Widner, and new candidate Summer Barnum was the sole filing for Place 5.

With their races uncontested, incumbent Bailey remains in Place 3, and Barnum takes Place 5. Harvey won the election for Place 4 with 186, or 51.67% of the total votes, with Widner receiving 174 votes.

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment Election
The Texas Constitutional Amendment Election had two propositions.

Proposition 1 was for a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead.

This proposition received local support with 1,614 votes or 88.54% of the total vote voting for the amendment. There were 209 votes against the amendment.

Proposition 2 was for a constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $25,000 to $40,000.

This proposition received local support with 1,592 votes or 86.19% of the total vote voting for the amendment. There were 255 votes against the amendment.