CURTIS C. WYNNE
NEWS-SUN
Planners can now move forward with a new vocational school in Hobbs, as well as a new elementary school on the city’s southside.
In Hobbs, more than three-fourths of the voters approved a $30 million general obligation bond for a new Southern Heights Elementary School and to partially pay for a career technical education facility on the Hobbs High School campus. Voters gave their nod to the bond with 1,363 yes and 401 no votes, or 77% to 23%.
“I always appreciate the support of the community,” Hobbs Municipal Schools superintendent T.J. Parks said Tuesday night. “We have an obligation to make sure we uphold our end of the bargain. I think they see a need and it’s our job to present materials about a bond election to the community and then it’s up to the community to decide whether it’s a viable option for them.”
A $32.5 million general obligation bond for the Eunice Public Schools, also approved at a vote of 313 yes and 102 no, will be used to construct a new middle school and a gymnasium, a good three-fourths of the votes in favor.
Jal Hospital District’s continuing 3-mill levy passed with 223 yes votes and 47 no votes, an 80-20 gap by percentages.
Nor-Lea Hospital District sought a continuing 1.5-mill levy, approved by voters at 672 yes to 371 no votes, or 62% in favor, 38% against.
Contested races included certain seats on the Tatum Town Council, Lovington School Board, the Nor-Lea Hospital District, the Eunice City Council, the Jal School Board, the New Mexico Junior College and the Lea Soil and Water Conservation District.
The Tatum Town Council had two seats to fill with three candidates on the ballot, Curtis Gene Stephens, Christopher Collins Stewart and Guy Phillip Payne. Winners were Stephens and Stewart, with 63 and 58 votes, respectively. Payne garnered 10 votes.
Vying for the Lovington School Board Position 1 were Patti A. Ancell and Timothy W. Board. Ancell won with 767 votes to Board’s 175 votes.
Incumbent Paul J. Campos conceded the race Tuesday on social media for Lovington School Board Position 2 to challenger Anselmo Cabello Jr.
Cabello tabbed 469 votes to Campos’ 446.
“Lost the School Board election by a narrow vote tonight. I want to thank my supporters from the bottom of my heart,” Campos posted. “It was an honor serving the Lovington Schools for the last 4 years. I wish nothing but the best for all of our staff and educators.”
Incumbent Pat Wise kept his seat on Nor-Lea Hospital District’s board Position 2 with 68 votes to challenger Leslie Elizabeth Everson’s 35 votes.
In Eunice, the city council had four four-year term seats up for election with seven candidates. The top four vote-getters will take those at-large seats. The unofficial count indicates the following number of votes: Joann Pender, 277; Erica Ann Jones, 275; incumbent Christopher Wayne Meyers, 249; Gonzalo R. Luna, 225; incumbent Steve Almager, 173; incumbent Wardell Allen, 117; and Lanett Irene Henneke, 105.
Henneke and incumbents Almager and Allen appear to have lost the election for the Eunice City Council, pending the canvassing of the results.
In Eunice’s two-year term seat incumbent Jessica Harper ran unopposed, earning 314 votes.
In the race for Jal School Board Position 5, incumbent Jaime Lee Earp garnered 236 votes, beating challenger Alexandra Pando Segovia’s 40 votes.
Evelyn J. Rising retained her spot on the board of New Mexico Junior College Position 6 with 119 votes against challenger K.T. Manis’ 59 votes.
Erica Ann Jones topped incumbent Mary Lou Vinson for the position 7 seat on the New Mexico Junior College board. Jones counted 506 votes to Vinson’s 231.
For the supervisor 5 seat in the Lea Soil and Water Conservation District, K.T. Manis brought in 2,082, more than double the 983 votes for Mara Salcido.
Most registered voters in Lea County, again, stayed home on Election Day.
While there were two general bond issues, two mill levies and nine contested races throughout Lea’s governmental entities including hospitals, schools and municipalities, County Clerk Keith Manes reported only 3,640 of the 34,886 registered voters in Lea County cast their ballots, including absentee and early votes.
Manes said all results are considered unofficial until the Nov. 14 certification of the results.
Casting early ballots were 993 voters. Absentee ballots totaled 70. Casting ballots at the polls on Tuesday were 2,577 voters in all of Lea County. The total calculates to 10.4%, Manes said.
The Lea County Commission scheduled a special meeting for Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. in the courthouse in Lovington to certify the canvassing of the election.
Curtis C. Wynne may be contacted at reporter3@hobbsnews.com .