Updated on May 2 at 9:45 a.m.
Bobby Warren has been elected mayor of Jersey Village with 74% of voters’ support. The oil and gas compliance manager and councilmember since 2017 also served as mayor pro tem since 2019.
In a Q&A with Community Impact Newspaper, Warren said flooding is the city’s greatest challenge, and he plans to collaborate with county, state and federal government leaders on flood mitigation projects.
Sheri Sheppard, who previously served as a city council member from 2012-18, and Michelle Mitcham, a local small-business owner, were elected to Place 2 and 3 seats on Jersey Village City Council, respectively. Sheppard defeated two other opponents with 54% of the votes in her race, and Mitcham claimed victory over her opponent with 54% of votes.
Other notable highlights include four city charter amendments passing with majority approval and local residents approving the creation of a Fire Control, Prevention and Emergency Services District. This entails ending the use of 0.5% of sales tax revenue for property tax relief and instead using that revenue to fund the fire district. Officials said this would not affect the city’s property tax rate of the property tax rate bills of Jersey Village homeowners.
According to the city, 1,288 voters turned out during this election period. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Originally posted on May 1 at 9:38 p.m.
Seven candidates are running across three different races in Jersey Village's May 1 elections, including the city’s mayor and two council members.
Additionally, four charter amendments and the creation of a Fire Control, Prevention and Emergency Services District were on the ballot for city residents, along with the continuation of the Crime Control Prevention District for another five years.
Jersey Village mayor
Bobby Warren, an oil and gas compliance manager and council member since 2017, took a commanding early lead, claiming 78% of early votes. His opponent, Merrilee Beazley, followed with about 22% of votes in her favor.
Jersey Village City Council Place 2
Sheri Sheppard, a business consultant and former council member, claimed nearly 60% of early votes. Kamal Khan and Dell Humbert trailed behind with 24% and 16% of early votes, respectively.
Jersey Village City Council Place 3
Michelle Mitcham, a speech language pathologist and small-business owner, held about 59% of early votes in the Place 3 race. Ashley Brown followed with 41% of early votes.
City charter amendments
Based on early-voting results, a majority of voters approved of all four city charter amendments on the ballot:
About 74% of early voters were in favor of Proposition A, which would eliminate sections 1.08 and 1.09 from the charter, effectively banning the use of red-light cameras. The state banned the use of red-light cameras in 2019, and city officials halted all plans to reinstall them at that time.
About 70% of early voters were in favor or Proposition B, which would adjust a section of the charter about City Council terms to use gender-neutral language. It would also require a majority vote for a candidate to be elected to the council or as mayor.
About 83% of early voters were in favor of Proposition C, which would, when an ordinance is passed by the City Council, allow the city of post notice on the city's website in lieu of a newspaper.
About 63% of early voters were in favor or Proposition D, which would change various sections of the charter to use gender-neutral language.
Fire Control, Prevention and Emergency Services District
About 66% of early voters were in favor of creating the fire district, which would entail ending the use of 0.5% of sales tax revenue for property tax relief and instead using that revenue to fund the fire district. That funding came to about $1.9 million in the city's 2019 budget, and a draft proposal for how that money would be spent by the new district can be found here. Abolishing the property tax relief fund would not affect the city's property tax rate or the property tax bills of homeowners in the city, officials said.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
