Saturday Is Election Day for Comal Voters

Saturday is general election day for Comal County voters, who will head to the polls to determine the fate of candidates running for Comal and New Braunfels ISD boards of trustees and New Braunfels and Bulverde city councils.

Also on the ballot are 18 New Braunfels city charter amendments.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at nine vote centers listed below.

Comal ISD

• Incumbent Tim Hennessee, Brittany Soto and Jerry Sauceda are running for Single Member District (SMD) 1.
• Incumbent David Drastata and Courtney Biasatti are running for SMD 2.
• Incumbent Michelle Ross is running unopposed for reelectionto SMD 5.

New Braunfels ISD

• Incumbent Eric Berquist and John Porter are running for District 3.
• Stephen Mingus, Brian Grenier and Betty Niven are running for District 5.

New Braunfels City Council

• Harry Bowers and Kevin Robles are running for New Braunfels City Council, District 3.
• Joy Harvey and Lawrence Spradley are running for New Braunfels City Council, District 4

New Braunfels City Charter Amendments

• Proposition A – Removes the one-year gap between a councilperson’s second and third terms. This item does not change the length of time a resident can serve on city council, which is a lifetime total of three terms or nine years.
• Proposition B – Grants city council additional authority when a council seat becomes vacant for 12 months or less. Options would be limited to appointing a temporary replacement until the next regular election, leaving the seat vacant until the next regular election, or calling a special election (the current requirement). This item does not change the requirement for a special election if the vacancy will be for longer than 12 months.
• Proposition C – Prohibits any councilperson from intentionally resigning their position in order to circumvent term limit rules, and prohibits them from running in future city elections.
• Proposition D – Clarifies the role of mayor during an emergency or disaster. Specifically, it allows the mayor to have access to all of the abilities granted by state law in order to keep the peace and respond to the situation. This item also gives the mayor the ability to appoint additional help, if necessary, during those times of emergency or disaster.
• Proposition E – This item adds to the charter the current practice of making the mayor pro tem primarily responsible for coordinating city council’s annual evaluations of the city manager, the city attorney, and the municipal court judge.
• Proposition F – This item clarifies the residency requirement for the city manager and the city attorney, giving them up to 120 days after their appointment to establish themselves as a resident of the city.
• Proposition G – This item adds to the charter the current practice of requiring the city manager to annually provide city council with a five-year financial forecast and a five-year capital improvement plan.
• Proposition H – This item updates the charter so that it matches state law by adjusting the city manager’s authority to contract for budgeted items with a limit of up to $50,000 (instead of the current $25,000). Anything over that limit would still require city council approval.
• Proposition I – This item allows the city manager, at his/her discretion, to consent and allow council members to interact with individual department heads without violating the charter.
• Proposition J – This item updates the charter so that it matches state law and the current city practice regarding the appointment and removal of the municipal court judge by city council.  It also allows the municipal court judge up to 120 days after his/her appointment to establish residency in the city.  This item also requires that the municipal court clerk be appointed by the city manager.
• Proposition K – This item gives the city secretary a total of 20 days to present a recall petition to city council, instead of the current requirement of five days, to allow sufficient time to provide all required documentation for the recall.
• Proposition L -This item repeals and removes the section of the charter that establishes and regulates the city’s Department of Taxation, which no longer exists due to state regulations.
• Proposition M – This item allows for corrections of grammar, spelling, gender references, and syntax, as well as allowing for future corrections and the renumbering of the charter, without the need for additional charter amendment elections, as long as such changes do not change the substance of the provision.
• Proposition N – This item addresses where certain city records are published or posted. In addition to the current requirements it mandates that certain records be published on the city’s website.
• Proposition O – This item changes how many times certain types of ordinances must be read by city council for approval. This item also clarifies the effective dates for all ordinances, and addresses publication requirements for all ordinances.
• Proposition P – This item updates the discrimination provision in the charter to include categories encompassed by federal and state law such as a prohibition on discrimination based on color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected classification which state or federal law prohibits as a basis for such appointment or removal.
• Proposition Q – This item adds a succession plan to the charter in the case of emergency or disaster where a quorum of city council can no longer serve due to injury or death.  This section establishes an interim quorum of city council through automatic but temporary appointments in order to handle city issues during the crisis.
• Proposition R – This item clarifies the restrictions and guidelines on campaign activities by city employees and city officials. Specifically, it restricts participation in political campaigning or related activities during work hours or while representing the city or their position with the city.  Additionally, this change regulates off-duty political participation when the city manager believes it is causing an unreasonable disruption to city operations.

Bulverde

• Ashley Brook is running against David Bullock for Bulverde City Council Place 5.

Garden Ridge

• Robb Erickson and Larry Thompson are running for mayor.
• Lisa Swint and Dave Wright are running for Alderman/Councilmember, Place 2.

Polling Locations

Comal County uses Vote Centers. Residents can vote at any of the following locations:

• Westside Community Center gym, 2932 S. IH 35, New Braunfels
• Grace Church, 3240 FM 725, New Braunfels
• Comal County Senior Citizens Center, 655 Landa St., New Braunfels
• Christ Presbyterian Church auditorium, 1620 Common St., New Braunfels
• Comal County Offices, Goodwin Annex training room, 1297 Church Hill Dr., New Braunfels
• New Braunfels Municipal Building foyer, 424 S. Castell, New Braunfels
• Bulverde City Hall, courtroom, 30360 Cougar Bend, Bulverde
• Garden Ridge Community and Event Center, 9500 Municipal Parkway, Garden Ridge
• Tye Preston Memorial Library, 16311 South Access Rd., Canyon Lake