Early voting is underway in Kendall County, running through April 29 leading up to election day on May 3.
Two polling sites are open for voters to cast ballots: the Kendall County Courthouse Annex, on Esser Road at Fawn Valley Drive; and the Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department, 7286 Dietz Elkhorn Road in Fair Oaks.
Polls are open:
* 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 22-Friday, April 25.
* 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 26.
* 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, April 28 and Tuesday, April 29.
(There is no early voting on Sunday, April 26.)
Boerne residents will find two city races on their ballots — for mayor, between Incumbent Frank Ritchie and challenger Laura Haning; and City Council Place 2, with Incumbent Sharon Wright defending against her opponent, Joe Bateman.
Two seats on the Boerne Independent School District will have two races on the ballot as well. Current board President Garrett Wilson, the Place 5 seat holder, faces challenger Scott Newberry while Incumbent Place 4 Trustee Maritza Gonzalez-Cooper is being opposed by challenger Sarah Faulkenberry.
In Fair Oaks Ranch, residents can cast votes in three City Council races. Place 3 Incumbent Ruben Olvera seeks a return to office against challenger Scott Rose. In Place 5, Incumbent Scott Parker is opposed by challenger Kevin Cox.
In Place 4, two newcomers vie for a seat on council: Jim Roff and Dale Pearson. Current Place 4 Councilwoman Laura Koerner has reached her term limit and cannot run again as a council member.
PROPOSITIONS ON BOERNE BALLOT
Boerne residents will find four propositions on the ballot, including Prop A, which asks voters to extend the length of mayoral and city council terms from two-year terms to three-year terms.
At an April 1 city candidate forum, Ritchie said he asked City Council to place the item on the agenda. He said it takes several months for newly elected council members to get acclimated to council procedure and protocol.
About the time new council members begin to grasp the process, he said, “it’s time for them to start campaigning for office again.”
Haning, Ritchie’s mayoral opponent, disagreed. She said anyone who runs for office “should somewhat know what you’re doing, and certainly know what you’re standing for.” She added two-year terms are preferable if an elected official is falling short of his or her elected duty, instead of having to wait a third year to replace them.
The issue was defeated by Boerne voters, 54-46 percent, in 2020, the first time the term extension appeared on the ballot.
The remaining propositions include:
Prop B: Remove language in the charter about other elected officials in the city, as there are no other elected positions other than City Council.
Prop C: Change the procedure for filling City Council vacancies to comply with state law for cities with three-year terms, as opposed to the current two-year terms, requiring that City Council appoint a council member if a vacancy occurs in a position with less than 12 months remaining.
Prop D: Require a review of the city charter every 10 years, reviewed and approved by the voters.
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