4 POLL SITES PLANNED FOR WH VOTE

By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

After more than 30 minutes of discussion Monday night, the Jefferson County Election Commission decided to open two additional poling sites for the Sept. 16 school district election.

The commission had initially planned for only two sites, one at White Hall City Hall and the other at the American Legion Post in Redfield, but Commissioner Booker Clemons asked for more locations, saying he wanted to make the process “voter friendly.”

Hardin Baptist Church on U.S. 270 and the Jefferson Water Co. will be used as the two other sites. To reduce election costs, which are paid for by the school district, the commission agreed to a motion by Commissioner Stuart Soffer to reduce the staffing at each election site.

White Hall will see the only contested school board races in the county this year, and in a drawing for ballot positions Monday, Roy Agee will appear first on the ballot for the Zone 1 position, while Terry Horton will be number 2. Both are seeking office as independents, and Agee is currently filing the post after being appointed by the White Hall School Board. The term of the winner will expire in 2013.

In the four person contest for the at large, Position 1, Joe Spadoni Jr. will be listed first, Steve Brickey second, Nancy Oudin third and Robin D. King fourth. All are running as independents for a term that will expire in 2013.

In the Pine Bluff School District, Herman Horace was unopposed for Zone 3 with a term to expire in 2011; David Rhine Brown was unopposed for Zone 5 with a term to expire in 2001; and Richard Redus Jr. was unopposed for Zone 7, with a term to expire in 2009.

Also on the ballot for Pine Bluff patrons will be a vote on a 41.7 mill school tax which represents no change from the current tax rate.

Patrons in the Pine Bluff district will only vote absentee or early voting at the courthouse as there will be no polls open on election day for the district.

The only polling site that will be open for the Watson Chapel School District will be Watson Chapel Baptist Church at 5514 Pinnacle Lane.

Current Watson Chapel Board President Donnie Hartsfield is running unopposed for Zone 4, with a term that will expire in 2013. Hartsfield is an Independent.

Watson Chapel district patrons will be asked to vote on a 31.8 mill school tax which represents the same rate currently being collected.