Published: April 07, 2009 08:34 pm      

County approves use of voting machines

The Henderson County Commissioners Court approved contracts with municipalities and school boards on Tuesday.

The contracts will allow the entities to use county voting machines for the May 9 elections.

County Election Administrator Denise Hernandez said 13 entities are paying the county $100 per day for use of the machines. They will be in use April 27 through May 5 for early balloting and on election day.

Elections are being conducted in the Athens, Brownsboro, LaPoynor and Malakoff school districts and for the cities of Chandler, Eustace, Log Cabin, Malakoff, Murchison, Seven Points, Tool and Trinidad.

The Athens Independent School District will also rent machines for early balloting at designated remote locations.

“We are not conducting the election,” Hernandez said of the AISD vote. “We’re just providing the equipment. They’ll provide their own poll workers.”

Commissioners tabled consideration of moving the Precinct 3 voting box from the Henderson County Justice Center to the Just Us Guys Community Center. Pct. 3 Commissioner Ronny Lawrence said he was not prepared to make a recommendation concerning the proposed move at Tuesday’s meeting.

In other action, Commissioners voted to accept a $1,500 check in reimbursement for signs that were damaged or stolen in Precinct 1.

Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Hall thanked the District Attorney’s office for its efforts in gaining restitution.

“I wasn’t even aware (that the DA was working the case) until I got an envelope with the check and an explanation of what it was,” he said. “It cost them a lot of money, so they’re not going to do that any more.”

Pct. 3 Commissioner Ronny Lawrence said he would like those who steal or vandalize signs to know county law enforcement is watching and prosecutors will follow up on the cases.

“It’s very much and ongoing problem over in my precinct. We caught some people getting signs over in my area. I wasn’t lucky enough to get any reimbursement,” Lawrence said. “It stopped them in that particular area, but we’ve still got people in other areas tearing them down.”

Hall said each of the Commissioners sets aside $10,000 to $20,000 each year to maintain road signs.

“Sometimes that’s not enough,” he said.

Commissioners also approved:

• a proclamation declaring April Sexual Assault Awareness Month;

• a proclamation declaring April Child Abuse Prevention Month;

• a proclamation declaring April 21 San Jacinto Day in Henderson County;

• a contract from Tyler Technologies-Eagle Software to add three licenses to the eight in the contract approved December 2, 2008 and

• payment of bills in the amount of $137,990.38.