BC keeps mayor, WOC to get new school

Bridge City will still have David Rutledge as mayor and the West Orange-Cove school district will be getting a new early learning center school. Those are among the results of the May 4 municipal and school elections in Orange County.

Also, the two incumbents on the Orange County Drainage District board fended off challengers to retain their seats.

Most of the cities and school districts in the county, along with the Orange County Port and Navigation District, were able to cancel their May 4 elections as incumbents ran for positions with no opposition.

Bridge City Mayor Rutledge won another term by receiving 402 votes against challenger Carl Harbert, a former city councilor, who had 254 votes.

In the Orange County Drainage District board race, incumbent Larry Ancelot got 348 votes for his Precinct 2 seat against Richard Capaldi with 167. Precinct 3 incumbent chalked to beat Seth Mize with 528.

The West Orange-Cove school district was able to cancel its board election, but had a $72 million bond election for voters, promising the bond sale would not increase property taxes. The school district has received money from ChevronPhillips in recent years because the new chemical plant under construction is mostly on land within the district.

Most of the $72 million will be used to build a new Early Learning Center for pre-kindergarten and Head Start classes. The new school will replace North Early Learning Center on Cordrey Avenue, which was built in 1965 as a high school. The bond election passed with 333 votes in favor and 244 votes against.

The district has bought acreage for the new school, which will be built behind West Orange-Stark Elementary School in Pinehurst off Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Deweyville in adjacent Newton County also had a bond election, but voters rejected the $47 million proposition with a vote of 348 against and 130 in favor.

For the Vidor school board, three people ran or the vacant Position 2 seat. Carrie Vincent won with 244 votes. Paul Davis was second with 212 votes and then Matthew Dewitt with 33.