Entire council up for vote in Howardwick

Howardwick will have an opportunity to elect its entire five-member city council this May following action by the Donley County Commissioners’ Court last Friday, February 23.

Acting on a petition from Howardwick voters, Commissioners called a special election on May 5, 2018, to fill vacancies created by the resignations of Alderman Eric Riddle on February 13 and Alderman Shelly Williamson in December. The terms will expire in 2019.

In addition, County Judge John Howard said the Texas Secretary of State’s office confirmed that Howardwick can proceed with its regularly scheduled May election to fill three expiring aldermen’s seats. The state’s determination is that the elections can happen at the same time on the same ballot even though Howardwick failed to call its regular election before a state deadline last month.

Howardwick Mayor Greta Byars is keeping City Hall open this week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including through noon, and says things are moving along there now after city government came to a halt two weeks ago following multiple resignations on the city council and the resignation of the city secretary.

Donley County Judge John Howard said the aldermen who have resigned at Howardwick legally still hold their offices until their successors are in place. Byars said that Riddle has agreed to attend a called meeting this Thursday so the city can pay bills and appoint election judges.

“It just seems like things are going great now,” Byars said. “Eric coming back for this one meeting is a tremendous help.”
Four candidates filed before the February 16 deadline to run three council seats expiring this year. Alderman Doc Holladay will be joined on the ballot by Marietta Baird, Kay Dye, and Debora Sharpton.

Qualified Howardwick residents have until Friday, March 2, at 5 p.m. to file for the two vacant positions expiring in 2019. Commissioners had set a deadline of Saturday, March 3, but the mayor said City Hall is only open through Friday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Brice Hawley had filed paperwork to run for one of the 2019 seats, and City Hall was expecting a second application.

The possibility of holding a Howardwick town hall about the idea of dissolving the municipality there was mentioned at the county meeting, although no residents from that city were in attendance. Byars said this week that, after talking to Judge Howard, such a meeting will definitely be held at some point.

“We’re going to have a town hall for sure with Judge Howard and probably the commissioners, but we’re not sure on when that will be,” the mayor said.