The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Orange County voters will have local elections during the November 8 general election as a new state law requires the members of the boards for special emergency services districts to be elected instead of appointed.

Orange County has four emergency services districts. In the past, Orange County Commissioners Court has appointed the members of the boards for the districts.

The Emergency Services District in Orange County provide fire and rescue service. Some of them have paid staffs and also utilize volunteer firefighters, while others rely on volunteers. Each district has property taxes for people living within the district. ESD 3, which is for Little Cypress, also has a sales tax that was approved by voters.

State Senator Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville), whose district includes Orange County, pushed to get the boards of emergency services districts elected by the general public. He wanted elected boards to go with the philosophy of taxation with representation.

The city of Orange has the only full-time professional fire department in the county. The cities of West Orange and Pinehurst have their own volunteer fire departments. Residents of those cities will not vote in the emergency services district elections.

Candidates filed with the Orange County Elections Administration Office this first year. Each district will elect five members at-large, with the five receiving the most votes winning positions. The ESDs do not follow county precinct lines.

ESD 1 is for residents in the city of Vidor and its outlying areas and has seven people running. Candidates are:

Jerry E. Aldridge

Gene Domec

Nelda Nash

Kenneth Luce

Larry C. Williams III

Wyatt Boyett

John H. Houseman

ESD 2 is for the city of Bridge City and its outlying areas including Orangefield. Six people filed to run. Candidates are:

Glen Childers Jr.

Chris Landry

Wes Arnold

Aaron McNeil

Carroll LeBlanc

Scott Barnes

ESD 3 is the Little Cypress Fire and Rescue Department. Six candidates filed for the five positions. Candidates are:

Wayne LaCombe

Bobby Smith

Wesley Journeay

Corina Alonso

Cammie Manshack Vincent

Cathy Drake

ESD 4 covers the Mauriceville and McLewis areas. Only five people filed for the five positions. Candidates are:

Anthony Shue, Robert H. Hymes

Dan Brack

David Covey

David Jones

The ESD 1, which covers the city of Vidor and its surrounding areas, has a tax rate of 10 cents per $100 valuation, meaning the owner of $100,000 worth of property will pay $100 a year. The district does not have a homestead exemption, but has a $10,000 property exemption for people age 65 and older.

ESD 2 currently has a tax rate of 9.4 cents per $100 valuation, which means the owner of $100,000 worth of property will pay $94 a year. The district does not have a homestead exemption, but allows a $15,000 property exemption for people age 65 and older.

The ESD 3 is the Little Cypress Fire and Rescue Department, which has a tax rate of 6 cents per $100 valuation. The owner of $100,000 worth of property will pay $60 a year. The district also does not have a homestead exemption, but gives people age 65 and older a $10,000 property exemption.

ESD 3 also has a 1.5 percent sales tax, which was approved by votes more than a decade ago. It is the only ESD in Orange County with a sales tax.

The ESD 4, which covers the Mauriceville-McLewis areas, has a tax rate of 3 cents per $100 valuation. The owner of $100,000 worth of property will pay $30 a year for taxes. The district does not have a homestead exemption, but allows a $5,000 exemption for people age 65 and older.

Early voting will begin Monday, October 24. The hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday October 24 through Friday, Friday, October 28. On Saturday, October 29, early voting will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday voting on October 30 will be 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Then voting will begin again on Monday, October 31, through Friday, November 4, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Orange County's early voting sites for the November general election will be the Orange Public Library, Mauriceville Community Center, Orange County Airport, and Raymond Gould Community Center in Vidor.

Registered Orange County voters may go to any of the early voting sites to cast a ballot. On Election Day, they are required to go to their assigned voting box.