Feb. 17—WEATHERFORD — One new face will appear in council chambers after two newcomers filed this week for Place 2 on the Weatherford city council after it appeared incumbent Jeff Robinson would not seek reelection prior to Friday's filing deadline.
Zack Smith, the owner of an equipment rental business in Weatherford, said growing up in Parker County taught him about hard work, networking and being involved in the community.
"Having a business located in the city of Weatherford gives me prospective as to what small businesses endure on a daily basis and how a city plays a big part in us having a successful operation," he said. "Being involved in the chamber of commerce, Noon Lions Club, St. Stephen Catholic Church and other voluntary philanthropic positions, I see firsthand this community come together throughout the year in ways that are nothing short of extraordinary."
Smith is married to his wife Brittney, a first grade teacher, and has children who attend Weatherford ISD schools.
"With the variety of ways I am out in the community throughout the day, I am of the opinion that the city of Weatherford exceeds expectations in many categories, and I want to join this amazing team as we prepare for the growth of years to come," he said. "If elected, I would bring my experience to this position and would work attentively alongside what I consider the best team in governmental leadership today."
Robert Gallegos, who owns and operates an auto repair shop in Weatherford, said he's been in public service since 1992, most recently as a lieutenant with Parker County ESD 6, in both paid and volunteer roles.
"I have always enjoyed public service and know I would bring a unique view with a strong support of public safety to the city council," he said. "I love Weatherford and would enjoy the challenge of public office."
Gallegos and his wife Mindy of almost 22 years, have one daughter.
Place 2 on the Weatherford city council, occupied by Mayor Pro-Tem Heidi Wilder, is also on the May ballot. As of deadline Friday, Wilder was the only one to file for the position. She has served on the council since May 2011.
A contest has emerged for a seat on the Mineral Wells City Council for an at-large position being vacated by Place 1 Councilman Brian Shoemaker, who is not seeking reelection.
The seat is elected by all registered voters in the city, as opposed to the four ward seats which are elected by residents within ward boundaries.
Filing was to continue through Friday evening.
David Montgomery II filed early in the process but soon was joined on the May 6 ballot by Kyle Wayne Kelley.
Place 2 Councilman Glenn Mitchell, Ward 2 representative Carlos Maldonado and Ward 4 incumbent Doyle Light filed for reelection and are unopposed.
At Mineral Wells ISD, incumbent trustees Brandon Hons, Lauretta Poole and Maria Jones were unopposed on the ballot Friday morning. If no other candidates filed, the district is eligible to cancel the spring election.
Two bond items will also be on the May ballot for Parker County voters, after trustees in Aledo and Springtown called for the elections on Monday.
Springtown ISD's proposition asks for voter approval for bonds in the amount of $120,780,000 for the purpose of constructing, improving and equipping a new middle school campus; restroom renovations at the existing intermediate school, and purchasing land for school buildings.
Beginning in 2022, the Springtown ISD community, comprised of community members, business owners, parents and SISD staff, evaluated various options and possibilities for the students of Springtown ISD. The capacity and critical needs impacting the district now and in the future were shared, discussed and analyzed with SISD trustees.
These meetings concluded that various conditions throughout the district pose security concerns, the challenge of aging buildings and overcrowding. This process identified critical needs and helped prioritize areas deemed most important to be recommended to the board of trustees for consideration leading to this called bond election.
Highlights of the bond include the following proposed projects:
—New Middle School (6-8) — 1,204 Student Capacity, Gymnasium, Football Field and Track, Land Purchase
—Ninth Grade Campus (9) — Current Middle School Building, Opens Up Classrooms at SHS
—Four Elementary Schools (PK-5) — New Elementary (Current Intermediate Building), Additions and Renovations to Restrooms at the Current Intermediate School
By constructing additional restrooms at Springtown Intermediate, the district will be able to serve PreK through fifth grade at Goshen Creek Elementary, Reno Elementary, Springtown Elementary, and the current intermediate school that would become an elementary. The realignment of moving ninth graders to their own campus (the current middle school building) will create more capacity at the newly constructed middle school and Springtown High School to allow for additional academic programming.
Aledo trustees approved the Aledo Growth Committee's recommendation of a $123.8 million bond proposal that will be presented on the ballot as a single proposition and will include a 2.5 cent Interest & Sinking tax rate increase.
The AGC, led by community co-chairs Dan Reilley and Kelli Stumbo, included 51 community members that met 13 times — with two additional community-wide meetings — from August 2022 to February examining the district's increasing student enrollment, financial information, districtwide facility needs and instructional goals.
In addition to a 2023 bond proposal, the AGC also presented a long-range plan for growth for the district for the next six years. The AGC will continue to meet and study updated data over the coming year-plus to begin to implement the long-range plan for growth.
The AGC built a bond recommendation that focuses on immediate student capacity needs at the elementary level, that includes additional and repurposed space at the high school level, that addresses the need for the district to repair, maintain and improve facilities as well as facility safety and security equipment as technology improves, and that provides additional funding for AISD to purchase buses, technology and land to meet needs due to growth.
The proposal uses two years of projected taxable value growth but not all of the district's available bonding capacity. While the 2023 bond package proposes a $0.025 tax rate increase, the Aledo ISD expects the continued pattern of additional tax rate compression. AISD Trustees have lowered the overall tax rate each of the last four years, decreasing the tax rate 22.71 cents total, or an average of $0.057 per year over the last four years. The 2022-23 tax rate compression for Aledo ISD was $0.025.
PASA, the district's demographer, projects that, by the 2024-2025 school year, projected enrollment at 5 of 6 elementary schools will exceed maximum capacity. With updated demographic reports pushing the projected need for more secondary space slightly further out — in 2027-28 projected district middle school enrollment will exceed max capacity, 2028-29 for high school enrollment — the AGC decided in its long-range plan for growth that the decision on how to build additional high school space would be better made in 2025 when committee members can reassess enrollment, bonding capacity, construction costs, and legislative actions.
The proposition includes a new Elementary School No. 7 ($59.8 million) that will be located on district-owned property northwest of the new McAnally Middle School, additions/repurposed high school space ($20.2 million), replacement furniture for students in grades 9-12 ($5 million), safety and security ($5 million), technology ($6.5 million), maintenance ($5 million), school buses ($4.5 million), and land for future school sites — including additional high school facilities ($17.8 million).
The additions/repurposed high school space would include additional Ag barn space and a new multi-purpose addition and repurposed space that would create flexibility for programs like band, colorguard, cheerleading, dance, engineering/robotics, wrestling and other programs in need of large learning spaces and locker room/changing space. Renovations to AHS include restrooms, library, lecture hall, auditorium, kitchen serving lines, new flooring and paint in classrooms, and new paint and wall finishes in hallways.
Other races
In Santo, school Superintendent Greg Gilbert reported the district conducts trustee elections only during even-numbered year. The district's host city is not incorporated, meaning the district holds trustee elections only during county and state elections.
Place 4 on the Weatherford College board of trustees will be at least a two-way race after incumbent Doug Dowd filed for reelection Monday.
Dowd has served on the board since May of 2021, when he was appointed following the resignation of Dave Cowley.
Dowd is being challenged by Scott Butler, a WC graduate and Marine vet.
The filing deadline for the special election, which will be held May 6, is March 6.
Two other seats will be on the May ballot, including Place 6, currently held by George Bailey, who filed for reelection.
Bailey was appointed to the board in June, replacing Sue Coody following her resignation. Bailey, a Parker County resident of 37 years, served on the Weatherford ISD board of trustees for six years in the 1990s and was a member of the Texas Education Service Center Region 11 board for the past 26 years representing Parker and Palo Pinto counties before resigning to fulfill his duties on the WC board.
Place 7 is occupied by Lela Morris, a 34-year WC employee prior to her retirement in 2016. She has filed for reelection.
Early voting for the May 6 election begins Monday, April 24 and ends Tuesday, May 2.
