Village early vote surpasses last year’s Disannexation election early vote
More than 1,400 voters cast ballots during early voting in the $49.4 million Salado ISD Bond Election and almost 600 voters have cast ballots during early voting in the Village of Salado municipal election for what appears to be a strong indication of what will be a high turnout.
The 592 voters who have cast ballots in early voting surpassed the record number who voted during last year’s Disannexation election. Last year, through the end of early voting, 582 cast ballots in the Village election.
Early voting began April 23 in local elections that include a ballot for the Village of Salado Mayor and Aldermen races and a ballot for the Salado ISD $49.4 million bond election.
Election Day, the polls will be open at the Salado Civic Center 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on May 5.
[table “76” not found /]Mayor Skip Blancett is seeking his third two-year term. He is opposed by Linda Reynolds, seeking office for the third time in three years, and former Alderman David Williams, who lost his bid for reelection to the Board of Aldermen last year.
Frank Coachman is seeking his third two-year term on the Board of Aldermen. He is opposed by Becky Butscher, Michael Coggin, Judy Fields, who ran for the board last year, and Chad Martin.
Salado Village Voice does profiles and question and answers with the candidates every year. Those appear in print each week and online.
The $49.4 million proposal calls for the construction of a new Middle School for grades 6-8 for a cost of $41.2 million at the 102 acres at Williams Rd., $800,000 for construction of a safety corridor linking the external wing and gymnasium to the main building at Thomas Arnold Elementary and $7.4 million for expansion of the existing football stadium and new athletic facilities at Williams Rd.
If voters approve a $49.4 million school bond on May 5, Salado ISD taxes wmay increase by $0.3162 per $100 valuation in 2019-20 fiscal year from $0.1838 to the state maximum of $0.50. This would bring the overall SALADO ISD property tax rate to $1.54.
The Middle School will have a student classroom capacity of 584 students. The core spaces of the library, cafeteria and two gymnasiums will be built for 684 students to allow for the future addition of classrooms.
The bond proposal will also include an enclosed corridor that connects the kindergarten/first grade buildings and gymnasium at Thomas Arnold to the main wing at an estimated cost of $800,000.
The remaining $7.4 million will be for the first phase in centralizing the district athletic and extra-curricular facilities at the Williams Rd. location.
New baseball and softball facilities will be built between the existing high school and the proposed middle school. Practice soccer and baseball fields will also be built at the Williams Rd. location. Depending upon the cost, the practice fields may be artificial turf and could become future competition fields in future phases.
The bond proposal will increase seating capacity at the existing football and soccer stadium at Thomas Arnold and Salado School Rd. It will also include new concessions, new rest rooms and an artificial turf surface for the field there.