The move would have required a candidate to only have the most votes to win instead of at least 50 percent.
Several people stood up to speak denouncing the change to a plurality vote. They said they believed with single-member districts, minority voters could be disenfranchised. A special-interest group could introduce candidates who do not have a chance of winning but could split the minority vote. Another candidate could be elected with a fraction of the vote as a result.
School board candidate from 2006 A’Lisa Ozment spoke out in open forum against plurality saying the $5,000 projected price for run-off elections is a fair price to ensure equitable elections.
“The obvious issue with this type of system is that a relatively small group controls the outcome of the election, regardless of what the majority of voters would have chosen if they had been given the chance,” Ozment said. “This has the very real potential to cause people to become disenfranchised because their voices are not heard at the ballot box.”
Single-member districts and majority voting were introduced for that reason in a 1978 court order to force Temple to comply with civil rights law. Massive confusion occurred during the last school board election when a plurality election was held that complied with state law but unbeknownst to administrators the 1978 majority vote order was still in effect.
This created the need for a run-off election in two races because neither candidate had 50 percent of the vote. Majority voting will remain in effect until a resolution is passed to change it, which is what was under consideration Monday night. In the end the board let the issue be discarded without a motion and a second to bring it to a vote.
This is the second time this current board has considered this issue. After the last election the board met and ruled to not immediately change from majority to plurality. Former board president Virginia Suarez said at the time that many in the district did not have the confidence in the system to accept a plurality vote and the risk of abuse was still present. With little more than 180 days before the spring elections, this was likely the board’s only chance to change it in time.
Also at the board meeting, Max Cleaver, executive director of operations, reported that the water heaters in the James Hardin Swim Center have been repaired and concerns about regular monitoring and maintenance are being addressed. Cleaver said the pool temperature is now a comfortable 80 degrees. A company is coming out on Nov. 27 to perform maintenance on the sand filter and he has gone out for bids to find a professional pool service to come to the pool twice a month.
kchandler@temple-telegram.com
