Post election

Palestine Mayor Dr. Carolyn Salter called it last night during her goodbye speech at the Palestine City Council - voters wanted change. In case you missed it, Salter became the odd man out of the three-person mayoral race. Dan Bochsler and Bob Herrington remain in the running. The council will officially canvass the vote next week at its 5:30 p.m. Monday meeting. After the vote is canvassed and made official, the date for the runoff election between Bochsler and Herrington will be set. According to state law, that has to be no less than 20 days and no more than 45 days from the canvassing date, so sometime around mid-June we'll vote again for mayor.

While the mayor's race certainly has resulted in change, the more far-reaching changes occurred in the school bond elections. Three times prior, Elkhart ISD had unsuccessfully attempted to convince voters in the district to pass a bond that will allow the school to build new facilities to house the ever-growing number of students educated there. Palestine ISD also had tried unsuccessfully in the past to pass a bond to improve its facilities. This time, both passed easily. That's very good for the children in those schools. I think Anderson County Prec. 2 Commissioner Rashad Q. Mims said it best last week when he commented that voters in Anderson County had seen fit to build a new jail to house criminals, but were hesitating to do something for their children:

“You invested in a new jail facility, almost 300 beds,” Mims said. “As a taxpayer, you’re paying for those inmates” to eat, sleep and have access to medical care.

“Why not invest in a child’s future that we can turn them (today’s students) into a productive taxpayer?” Mims asked.

Seems that the voters listened.