Cardona, Jenkins likely winners in Sunset Valley election

Updated 10 p.m. Travis County unofficial results

Unofficial early voting plus election day numbers from Travis County:

Rose Cardona—112, Barbara Wilson—77

Walter Jenkins—119, Zubair Hamir—95, Jeff Burdett—94

Updated: 9:40 p.m.

Voters in the City of Sunset Valley elected Mayor Pro Tem Rose Cardona to be the new mayor in the May 12 municipal election, according to unofficial results.

Unofficial results show Walter Jenkins joining the Sunset Valley City Council. Three provisional ballots could make the difference in who will serve with him in the second available council seat.

Cardona got 31 early votes to current Mayor Barbara Wilson's 23 in early voting, according to unofficial numbers reported by Travis County.

After polls closed at 7 p.m., Election Judge Inez Vanderburg posted a computer printout of unofficial Election Day results to the back door of Sunset Valley City Hall.

The printout said Cardona got 83 votes to Wilson's 55. If early votes and Election Day totals are added together, Cardona got 114 votes and Wilson got 78.

When reached by phone Saturday night, Cardona said she was happy about the results and that it would be a new job and responsibility than what she has been doing for the past three years.

"Sunset Valley elections are always close, which means that winning and losing need to be taken with perspective and humility," she said.

Wilson declined to comment on the unofficial results.

Prior to being sworn in as mayor, Cardona will have to resign her seat on the council. The council will then need to appoint a new council member.

City Council

According to unofficial early voting results and the printout, Jenkins received 30 votes in early voting and 90 votes on Election Day, for a total of 120 votes.

Jenkins and his family visited Sunset Valley City Hall to see the Election Day results.

"Let's get to work," he said. He called his fellow candidates good people and he was pleased to work with the council.

Unofficial election results saw Zubair Hamir get 27 votes in early voting and 69 on Election Day, for an unofficial total of 96 votes.

The same results saw Jeff Burdett get 34 votes in early voting and 61 votes on Election Day, totaling 95 votes.

Hamir could not be reached for comment Saturday night.

Burdett said he planned to continue working with the council, either as a member or as a citizen, to help keep moving Sunset Valley forward.

An early voting ballot board will determine whether the three provisional ballots will be counted after the election.

"The voter registrar will investigate your situation and you will receive notification in the mail stating whether your ballot was counted or rejected. If your ballot was rejected, it will state the reason," according to official election materials.

Updated 7 p.m., May 12: Fun facts and historic turnout

Polls have now closed in Sunset Valley.

Judge said 142 votes were cast on Election Day, including three provisional votes.

According to Sunset Valley, 490 of the city's roughly 660 residents are registered voters.

Initial post: May 10

On Saturday, May 12, Sunset Valley voters will elect a mayor and two City Council positions.

Mayor Pro Tem Rose Cardona and Mayor Barbara Wilson are both running to be the city's mayor.

Residents Jeff Burdett, Zubair Hamir and Walter Jenkins are running to fill the two council seats being vacated by Councilwoman Nancy Porter and Councilman Bruce Smith.

Voting takes place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 12 at Sunset Valley City Hall. Visit www.impactnews.com on election night for the latest election information.

Cardona has a year left on her term on the Sunset Valley City Council. She has said she would stay on the council if Wilson is re-elected.

If Cardona is elected, she would need to resign her council seat before being sworn in as mayor, City Administrator Clay Collins said.

That would leave an open seat on the council.

A Sunset Valley ordinance says that the city will give written notice to all residents. The city will accept applications for two weeks. A public hearing will be held so candidates can explain why he or she would be best suited to serve on the council.

After the hearing, the City Council will appoint its new member. The City Council may consider any unique qualifications, public support, prior experience and whether the candidate is engaged in any business that may present ethical issues when voting, according to the ordinance.