There are several local races occurring in Pflugerville and Hutto as part of the May 7 general election. They include races for the Hutto ISD and Pflugerville ISD boards of trustees as well as Hutto City Council.
Within the race for Pflugerville ISD, Place 4, there are two candidates. Incumbent Vernagene Mott is running against challenger Corbin Black.
The interviews in the question and answer section of this voter guide have been edited for length and clarity.
Also included in this May voter guide are important dates to know, voter turnout histories for key elections years in Travis and Williamson counties and a sample ballot of all the other candidates running in local races in Hutto and Pflugerville.
Dates to Know
April 25: First day of early voting
April 26: Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked)
May 3: Last day of early voting
May 7: Election day
May 7: Last day to receive ballot by mail (or May 9 if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at location of election)
Sample Ballot
*denotes incumbent
PfISD board of trustees, Place 3
-Renae Mitchell*
-Pat McCord
PfISD board of trustees, Place 4
-Vernagene Mott*
-Corbin Black
PfISD board of trustees, Place 5
-Brian Allen*
-Alissa Molina
Hutto mayor
-Mike Snyder*
-Mandi Villarreal Salvo
Hutto City Council, Place 3
-Ida Weaver
-Randal Clark
Hutto City Council, Place 6
-Amberley Kolar
-Nicole Calderone
Hutto ISD board of trustees
-Billie Logiudice*
-Terrence Owens*
-Ashley McCombs
-Jason McCombs
-Shannon Jacobs
-Stevie Jones
Voter Turnout
Williamson County
2012 presidential: 64.62% / 164,579 turnout / 254,688 registered voters
2014 gubernatorial: 38.31% / 104,464 turnout / 272,649 registered voters
2016 presidential: 67.10% / 205,862 turnout / 306,811 registered voters
2018 gubernatorial: 62.25% / 209,257 turnout / 336,148 registered voters
2020 presidential: 75.64% / 291,251 turnout / 385,065 registered voters
Travis County
2012 presidential: 61.66% / 391,708 turnout / 635,300 registered voters
2014 gubernatorial: 41.38% / 270,005 turnout / 652,463 registered voters
2016 presidential: 65.24% / 477,588 turnout / 732,037 registered voters
2018 gubernatorial: 61.78% / 486,616 turnout / 787,670 registered voters
2020 presidential: 71.06% / 612,696 turnout / 862,163 registered voters
Vernagene Mott
Experience:
18 years with the PfISD board (officer multiple term/standing committees); Central Texas School Board Association charter founder/officer; Texas Association of School Boards(TASB) director for 13 years, Pflugerville Education Foundation charter board member.
Occupation:
Retired HS math/chemistry teacher; church organist/keyboardist
Contact Information:
email: [email protected]: Mott for Pflugerville ISD TrusteernTwitter: @Mott4PfISDrn
What will be your top priorities if you are elected?
I will focus on advancement of academic outcomes pertaining to recruiting and retaining experienced master teachers and principals. I will prioritize financial operations, especially the creation of an efficient, effective, equitable, accountable, transparent and balanced budget with sustainable programs and practices. I will work to preserve a high bond rating. I will focus on community support and engagement, and I will continue to value PfISD as a destination public school system where recognized staff, students, and programs brilliantly reflect excellence on every diverse campus. I will fight for local control and timely collaboration with the Texas Education Agency and lawmakers.
What uniquely qualifies you for this position?
I have a heart for student and staff success, and I engage in campus events, including multicultural, literacy, fine arts, athletic and academic student activities. I am an experienced master trustee, and I focus on community engagement.
Corbin Black
Experience:
Six years of software engineering
Occupation:
Senior software engineer
Contact Information:
email: [email protected]
What will be your top priorities if you are elected?
My top priorities include supporting our teachers and students in addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I will focus on social development and educational gaps and make sure all of our students feel safe and welcome in our schools. I will work to ensure that we preserve the learning resources available to our students for self enrichment.
What uniquely qualifies you for this position?
I come from a technology background working as a senior software engineer. I appreciate that our teachers of today are teaching for jobs that may not exist yet or are just emerging. Kids today have always had unparalleled levels of technology in their lives. To be an effective leader in education, a person should have an understanding of how technology changes and how to adapt as it changes.
