Lockhart calls November election

By LPR Staff

Editor/POST-REGISTER

In keeping with their traditional election schedule, the Lockhart City Council unanimously approved an agreement with the Caldwell County Elections Office for a joint election on Nov. 8, 2016.

Four places on the Lockhart City Council are up for election this year: Single Member District 1 (Juan Mendoza); Si

ngle Member District 2 (John Castillo); and two Council Members At Large (Angie Gonzales-Sanchez and Brad Westmoreland).

Although according to the Secretary of State’s Office, the first day to officially file for a place on the ballot is July 23, candidate packets are already available at City Hall, and area residents are beginning to show their interest in running for the available seats.

The same order that called the election spelled out the locations to be used as polling places City of Lockhart voters during the November election. Polls will be open at St. Mark’s Methodist Church Hall at 602 Live Oak, St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 205 W. Pecan, Lockhart City Hall at 308 W. San Antonio, and the First Lockhart Baptist Church Hall at 305 W. Prairie Lea. All early voting will be conducted at the Caldwell County Elections Office, 1403 Blackjack St.

At press time, Lockhart City Hall sources indicated that Mendoza, Westmoreland and Louis Cisneros had picked up candidate application packets.

In other business, the Council discussed and amended an existing agreement with Pure Castings Company, which initially entered an agreement with the City of Lockhart and the Lockhart Economic Development Corporation regarding the purchase and construction of a facility in the Lockhart Industrial Park in 2014.

According to Economic Development Director Sandra Mauldin, the plummet in the oil and gas industry has caused a change to Pure Castings’s plans. While they still intend to locate a facility in Lockhart, the needs for the project have changed. Those changes, she said prompted the LEDC to rescind the original agreement with Pure Castings, and enter a new agreement.

The initial agreement saw the City of Lockhart contributing support of approximately $465,000 for the construction of the facility, along with infrastructure to support the construction. In return, Pure Castings was to create and maintain at least 75 new primary jobs in the first five years of operation.

Under the new agreements, Pure Castings will receive tax rebates on two separate properties within the Lockhart Industrial Park, and create a total of 62 jobs.

In brief news:

The Council recognized several members and volunteers of Keep Lockhart Beautiful for their contributions in clean-ups, painting and other beautification projects throughout the spring.

They approved several detention ponds to be constructed in the SH-130 right of way, to ease water flow and adverse drainage in the community.

They approved a “housekeeping” change to the City’s Historical Preservation ordinance.

The Lockhart City Council routinely meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Third Floor Council Chambers of Lockhart City Hall. The meetings are open to the public and are televised on Time Warner Digital Cable Channel 10.

kathbliss@post-register.com