CTC board of trustees election has two contested races

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

Filing closed on Friday for the May 4, 2019 election for the Central Texas College board of trustees, and three Covites will be on the election ballot.

Places 1, 2, 3, and 5 on the board of trustees are up for election this year. Filing opened on December 14, 2018 and ended on Friday, February 15.

CCISD superintendent Joseph Burns is a CTC board of trustees incumbent and filed to run for Place 3. Burns was appointed to the board in February 2018 to replace Elwood “Woody” Shemwell of Copperas Cove, who retired.

Former Copperas Cove city councilman James Pierce Jr. filed on Friday to run for Place 3 as well.

Along with Pierce, another Copperas Cove area resident, Samuel Thorpe Jr., filed on Friday to run for Place 2. Thorpe is facing Albert Charles Hollinger, who also filed for Place 2.

A total of four places are up for election on the board of trustees, with incumbents Brenda Coley (Killeen), running for Place 5; and Jimmy Towers (Killeen), running for Place 2.

The board of trustees members serve six-year terms and are made up of representatives elected from CTC’s taxing district, which includes the Copperas Cove Independent School District and the Killeen Independent School District.

Property owners in those districts presently pay 13.86 cents per $100 in property taxes to Central Texas.