County OKs 2020 election canvass

By Larry Tucker
editor@wood.cm
Posted 11/26/20

Wood County commissioners canvassed the 2020 general election voting in the county as presented by Elections Administrator Laura Wise.

There were 22,903 votes cast in Wood County out of 32,452 registered voters.

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County OKs 2020 election canvass

Posted

Wood County commissioners canvassed the 2020 general election voting in the county as presented by Elections Administrator Laura Wise.

There were 22,903 votes cast in Wood County out of 32,452 registered voters.

“We had 16,780 for early voting and 3,396 voters on election day. This election we sent out 2,901 mail ballots and that’s the most we ever mailed. We counted 2,522,” Wise reported. “We mailed out 113 military ballots and out of those we counted 84. We had 231 of our mail ballots cancelled at the polls and they voted in person. Our total for early voting was 11,575 in 2016. Branch voting was a huge success this election. I was really surprised. I didn’t expect after the first day they would be very busy, but they stayed constant the whole three weeks. We had a lot of first-time voters.”

County Judge Lucy Hebron was appreciative of the election workers.

“You should pass along a big huge thank you from all of us to all the election workers,” Hebron noted.  

Sam Scroggins and JoAnn McMillan gave the Wood County Child Welfare Board annual report. Scroggins is the immediate past president of the board and McMillan is the incoming president.

“The child welfare board and child protective board share the same membership. The membership represents all areas of Wood County and consists of citizens committed to helping abused and neglected children as well as supporting CPS workers responsible for overseeing the care of the children,” Scroggins explained. 

Scroggins reported the COVID-19 pandemic caused and is still causing several changes from the norm. Wood County’s Candlelight Vigil for April had to be canceled; the Rainbow Room open house for foster families at the beginning of the school year was canceled; The Tips for Tots fundraiser at AJ’s Fish House in August had to be canceled, impacting over $18,000 in expected protection board fundraising revenue; and the 2020 annual Christmas Party in December has been canceled. 

Instead of the Christmas party, gift giving will continue as normal with the child welfare board staging a drive-through for foster families to pick up gifts at Quitman First United Methodist Church on Dec. 5. Santa’s lap will be off limits, but he will greet children in their cars as they arrive at the pick-up point.

In other actions, commissioners approved memoranda between Wood County and East Texas Council of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and between the county and Andrews Center for Wood County Jail mental health assessments.

Commissioners approved to re-advertise for proposals for a construction manager at risk to oversee the design, planning and construction of the new Wood County tax office.

Commissioners approved a tax deed sale of $800 in Mineola to Jonathan Pichardo Blanco of Fort Worth. Patrick Woods of Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins and Mott LLP also presented checks of $3,000 and $426 for excess proceeds collected.

Jim Dixon of Holly Lake Ranch was nominated for Emergency Service District #1 board of directors for a two-year term. 

The Means Subdivision near Hainesville on County Road 3275 off FM 49 was approved.

In personnel matters, Emily Hussman was approved as a new county extension agent and Twila Yeager was hired for part-time work. Logan Miller went from jailer to jailer-sergeant while road techs Lamar Elliot in Precinct #2 and Donald Rowell in Precinct #4 were given salary increases. Joyce Williams was hired as temporary election help.