More than 500 ballots could potentially be added to final election counts that will determine two at-large positions on Harris County Emergency Services District No. 11's board of commissioners, according to a preliminary election reconciliation form posted on the district's website May 7.
According to the document, 473 mail-in ballots that were either not returned or are pending voter action could still be tallied, in addition to 34 provisional ballots.
Excluding the ballots that could be added to voting totals, Dorothy Dalton and Zach Dunlap have been projected to win the two at-large positions with 1,681 and 1,489 votes, respectively.
Incumbent Kevin Brost closely trailed Dunlap with 1,420 votes.
All election results are unofficial until canvassed.
Updated May 7 at 10:40 p.m.
With unofficial voting results in for the May 7 election, Dorothy Dalton and Zach Dunlap have been projected to win two at-large positions on Harris County Emergency Services District No. 11’s board of commissioners.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Dalton took in 1,681 total votes, with Dunlap following behind with 1,489 votes.
The election was held to select two at-large positions on the ESD 11 board currently held by incumbent Kevin Brost and Fred Grundmeyer. While Grundmeyer was not seeking reelection, Brost finished third in the race, tallying 1,420 votes. Candidates Christopher David and Joel Ocasio rounded out the remainder of the field, with 1,195 and 920 votes, respectively.
Dalton said she was pleased with the results.
"I'm very happy," Dalton said after the win. "I really want to weed out the bad and dead wood on that board. I think it's time for new blood."
Moving forward, Dalton said she was going to aim to increase transparency on the board.
"The first thing I want to see is how much [the board] has spent and how much in debt they put the taxpayers in," Dalton said, noting she initially decided to run for the position after a bad experience with a 911 call within the district. "I want to be reassured that our level of care for the public when they call 911 is where it needs to be."
Dunlap could not be reached for comment.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Posted May 7 at 8:59 p.m.
With early voting results in for the May 7 election, Dorothy Dalton and Zach Dunlap have taken an early lead for two at-large positions on Harris County Emergency Services District No. 11’s board of commissioners.
Dalton is leading all candidates with 1,435 votes, followed by Dunlap with 1,234 votes, incumbent Kevin Brost with 1,194 votes, Christopher David with 957 votes and Joel Ocasio with 820 votes.
The election will decide two at-large positions on the ESD 11 board held by Brost and Fred Grundmeyer. Grundmeyer is not seeking re-election. The two candidates who receive the most votes will be elected to the two at-large positions.
The May 7 contest marks the first election since ESD 11 launched its ambulance service—ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare—in September.
In Q&A's completed with each of the candidates in April, several of the candidates, including Brost and David, were supportive of the district's decision to launch ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare, while Dalton and Dunlap argued the fledgling ambulance service was created without a public vote and without constituent input. In the Q&A, Ocasio said he believes ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare has been mismanaged and also argued the current systems being utilized by first responders were selected without input from the community.
Both Dunlap and Ocasio were previously employed as paramedics with Cypress Creek Emergency Medical Services, which contracted with ESD 11 to provide ambulance services within the district until the launch of ESD 11 Mobile Healthcare in September. Dalton has 13 years of experience in the medical industry as an executive assistant. Brost, who was has served as an ESD 11 commissioner for 15 years, owns public safety communication company Command Communications. David, who works in surgical sales, has worked in several capacities in the health care industry since 2003.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
