Athens Review, Athens, Texas

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November 11, 2008

AISD’s Hayes: Bond re-vote is possibility

School officials, politicians plan to meet with Secretary of State’s Office Wednesday

By Jayson Larson Editor

On the eve of a meeting between school administrators, elected officials and the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, Athens school district Superintendent Dr. Fred Hayes said Monday he favors seeking a re-vote on a pair of multimillion dollar bond issues.

Hayes, who last week had said he felt the results of the November 4 vote were legitimate, said he changed his thinking over the last few days as continued complaints about how the bond elections were administered have come to light.

“I’d like for us to go back and re-vote. But that’s my opinion, and I’m not speaking for the board,” Hayes said. “I do believe we have grounds to contest (the election), but of course, that will be a board decision.”

Hayes said he and Athens school board President David Freeman are scheduled to meet with representatives from the Secretary of State’s Office on Wednesday. He said he’s hoping officials from the offices of State Senator Robert Nichols and State Representative Betty Brown will also be included in that meeting. Henderson County Elections Administrator Denise Hernandez is not scheduled to be involved in the meeting, he added.

The school district sent a two-pronged bond proposition to voters on November 4: the first, valued at $21.5 million, was to be used to build an elementary school among other projects. It failed by 192 votes. The second, valued at $3.75 million, which proposes various remodel projects and renovations, passed by 475 votes.

Athens ISD officials are scheduled to canvass the votes at a meeting Thursday. Hayes said school officials have been advised they will then have 30 days to formally challenge the results. Such a move would likely have to be made by filing suit in state district court.

The next regularly scheduled Athens school board meeting is set for Thursday, November 20.

In the days following the election, reports surfaced that some Athens ISD voters did not receive a ballot on which the bond proposals were printed. In another instance, a Eustace ISD taxpayer was given the option despite the fact she pays Eustace ISD taxes. Hayes said mail-in ballots were also received by some Athens ISD voters without the proposals printed on them.

Election workers and judges at each polling location are selected by the Republican and Democratic parties of Henderson County and then approved by county commissioners. Hernandez has said workers were trained and advised to pay special attention to the ballots because many polling locations had multiple ballots to dispense to voters.

Hernandez recently told the Athens Review that, while some mistakes were bound to happen during the administration of the election, voters also should carry some of the responsibility of making sure they’ve been given the correct ballot. In at least two known instances, voters complained they cast their ballot and realized after the fact the bond proposals weren’t on their ballot as they should have been.

For his part, Hayes said he takes issue with polling workers who decided which ballot to give voters by asking, “Do you pay Athens ISD taxes?” He, along with Support Our Schools Chairperson Sarah Grey — head of a political action group created in favor of the bonds — said such a question could be confusing to those who live in apartments or rent a home and don’t directly pay school taxes.

“Really, I think that’s the wrong thing to do,” Hayes said. “I just think there’s a huge problem with that if the election judges are saying that.”

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