By By Marty Kufus
Wilson County News

Barring the Justice Department’s last-minute denial of "pre-clearance" — or, another federal injunction in San Antonio — a rural ground-water district’s election in southern Bexar County was to have begun Wednesday morning with early voting.

As of press time Monday afternoon, early voting in the annexational election was to occur April 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Waterwood Park subdivision’s clubhouse.

It is located at 4451 Hickory Haven, according to an election order.

Voters living in the following area are eligible to cast ballots for, or against, annexation and taxation by the Pleasanton-based Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District.

The proposed area is bounded on the south by the Atascosa and Wilson county lines, S.H. 16 on the west, Loop 1604 on the north, and U.S. 181 on the east.

Early voting, as posted, ends April 30. Election day is May 4.

On that date, according to the two-part election plan sent to Washington for approval, balloting was to occur at three school districts also having elections — even though none is in the annexational area — for the convenience of voters.

Those districts are Southside, East Central, and Somerset.

During a special session Thursday, however, a board majority at the Southside Independent School district voted against allowing a "joint election" with the Evergreen.

Superintendent Mard Herrick explained the board’s action had nothing to do with the merits of the Evergreen’s proposed annexation; the trustees were ensuring Southside’s election would not be snarled by a potentially complicating outside issue.

"We understand their [southern-Bexar residents’] concern over water rights," Herrick said Friday. "Our issue is taking care of our school district and our children."

During the meeting, Trustee Frank Casias made a motion to not consider a joint election; Trustee Alberto Rodriguez seconded. They, board President Andrew Herrera, and Vice President Juan Silva voted for the motion (against the joint election), a school staff member reported.

Trustees Debra Perez and Jim Lopez (a member of the board of the Bexar Metropolitan Water District) abstained from voting. Trustee Albert Moreno was absent, on military duty.

The Evergreen’s board already had a Tuesday (April 16) meeting scheduled.

The agenda was amended Friday to allow discussion and action on "matters related to" the May 4 election.

An Evergreen spokesman said Monday the board likely would be presented with a "plan B." It would locate May 4 voting sites elsewhere — not at the school districts.

Responding to a summer petition drive by some southern-Bexar residents, the board originally scheduled a Feb. 2 election. It was to have only one voting site: at Waterwood Park.

However, a federal lawsuit in December brought an injunction against early voting, while the election itself failed to receive pre-clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Evergreen district comprises Wilson, Atascosa, Karnes, and Frio counties. Its district tax rate currently is 1.74 cents per $100 valuation.

Officials at both the San Antonio Water System and BexarMet — each of which has water interests in southern Bexar — have appealed to voters, saying district annexation is not necessary to protect local water wells.
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