Early Voting Period for City Election Now Underway until May 7th
By: Jose G. Landa
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas municipal election of May 11, 2013 for the positions of Mayor and City Council Places No. 1 and 4 began on Monday, April 29th, with the Early Voting Period running until May 7th at the City of Eagle Pass Multi-Purpose Center located at 480 South Adams Street in the Fort Duncan Park in Eagle Pass.
The Early Voting Period will be held at the Multi-Purpose Center during Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until May 7th except two days have been designated as extended voting time days on Thursday, May 2nd, and Tuesday, May 7th, with the election poll opening at 8 a.m. and closing until 8 p.m. for the convenience of local citizens seeking to vote after working hours.
The positions up for election are the Mayor’s post with incumbent Mayor Ramsey English Cantu seeking re-election to a full four-year term and local businessman Saul Fernandez running in his first political campaign challenging Mayor Cantu and the City Council Places 1 and 4 with incumbents Rudy Villalpando and Luis E. Sifuentes running unopposed.
The only contested municipal election is the Mayor’s race between Mayor Ramsey English Cantu and challenger Saul Fernandez. Both candidates have a different vision for economic development and growth for Eagle Pass. Mayor Ramsey English Cantu believes a controlled growth and economic development is the most responsible approach to manage the continuing growth of Eagle Pass. Challenger Saul Fernandez believes an open door growth and economic development policy is best for Eagle Pass. For example, Mayor Ramsey English Cantu opposes the opening of the controversial Dos Republicas open surface coal mine only three miles north of the city limits in the Thompson Road area of northern Maverick County as a potential threat to contamination and pollution of the City of Eagle Pass’s potable water supply from the Rio Grande River as well as the air the citizens breathe, particularly children and elderly, while challenger Saul Fernandez favors the opening of the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership coal mine as a major economic development project for the community, new jobs created, and increased ad valorem taxes for the county.
City Secretary Mary D. Velasquez is the municipal election clerk and she advises all city voters to please present their Maverick County voter registration card or a pictured identification card when voting in the city election. Persons over 65 years of age and disabled or who plan to be out of town during the May 11th election date may apply to vote by mail with the City Secretary’s Office by no later than Friday, May 3rd. Any person having any question regarding the city election, may call the City Secretary’s Office Election Hotline at (830) 776-4812 for information.
