Copperas Cove voters head to polls to elect new mayor, councilmember, decide fate of proposed animal shelter

By LYNETTE SOWELL 
Cove Leader-Press 

Early voting wrapped up last week for the Nov. 2 general and special election. 
A total of 1,299 voters have cast ballots in Coryell County, with 847 casting ballots in Copperas Cove at the Early Voting Center, and 424 voting in Gatesville. A total of 28 mail-in ballots have been received. 
Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. 
Polls are located at the Copperas Cove Civic Center, 1206 W Avenue B; Holy Family Catholic Church, 1001 Georgetown Rd.; Eastside Baptist Church, 1202 MLK Jr. Blvd; the Gatesville Civic Center, 303 Veterans Memorial Loop; Evant City Hall, 598 E. Highway 84; Flat Community Center, 159 CR 334; Oglesby Community Center, 118 Main St.; Turnersville Community Center, 8115 F.M. 182.
In Lampasas County, polls will be open at the Kempner Fire Department & Training Center, 315 S. Pecan; New Covenant Church, Lampasas; and Lometa City Hall, 100 E. San Saba St. 
Copperas Cove residents who are Lampasas County voters will find Proposition N on their ballots as well as the Texas constitutional amendment. 
In the Special Election for Copperas Cove city council Place 3, there is a three-way race between Scott Remalia, Shawn Alzona, and William G. Smith are running in the special election for Copperas Cove city council Place 3. If none of the three candidates receive more than 50 percent of the votes, there will need to be a runoff election.
Dan Yancey and write-in candidate Devin Meadows are running for mayor. 
Readers can find more information about candidates, the animal shelter bond, as well as the city charter amendments at the Copperas Cove Leader-Press Election 2021 page https://www.coveleaderpress.com/election-2021. 
The page contains articles and coverage of candidate events, as well as past public meetings during which the animal shelter and charter amendments were discussed. 
Voters are also deciding on whether or not to approve Proposition N, a $3.8 million bond for a new animal shelter, as well as 13 proposed amendments to the city charter. 
Among the proposed city charter amendments are Measure B, which would increase the pay for councilmembers and mayors for each regular and special council meeting they attend from $50 to $75 for the mayor and from $25 to $50 for each council member; and Measure F, “Petition Signature Requirements,” which would require those signing petitions to include either their date of birth or their voter registration number, but not both; and Measure H, would add language to the charter that allows the city manager to miss a city council meeting when the absence is approved by the council. Measures I, J, and K would revise the required review of the city’s Capital Improvement, Capital Outlay, and Personnel Plans to be prepared and submitted annually, not every five years as it is currently. Also, Measure L, would require that all checks be counter signed by the director of budget, not the assistant director of finance alone.