Early voting taking place in Chandler
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

The Chandler City Council elections are underway and into the early voting period. Early voting started April 28 and will continue till May 6.

Election Day voting on May 10 will go from 7 am to 7 pm at the Chandler Community Center. Early voting will be at Chandler City Hall from 8 am to 5 pm each weekday. Early voting on May 5 and 6 will have the same hours as Election Day.

Applications for ballot by mail should be sent to Shirley Parmer, PO Box 425, Chandler, Texas, 75758.

The hotly contested election centers on the three open positions for the city council. Incumbents Gene Giger and Ann Hall are fighting to keep their seats, while write-in candidates Dick Jarrett, Melissa Lehman and Don Daniell also vie for a piece of the pie.

Bobby Lankford was a write-in candidate before learning of his ineligibility. For more information see page one.

Gene Giger has served on the council for two years. He said his platform is one of continued progress in Chandler.

"I am committed to continued progress," Giger said. "What we have accomplished in the last two years I would see as very positive."

Ann Hall has served on the council longer than any of the other candidates with a total of eight years. Hall said preparing the city for Tyler's expansion is an important issue to her.

"We're trying to improve the infrastructure to prepare," Hall said.

Dick Jarrett said he is running because of things he feels aren't right with the council.

"Some people in Chandler made a living collecting garbage, " Jarrett said.

Jarrett also said he believed the people of Chandler are unhappy with the city's trash service, Sanitation Solutions.

A big point Don Daniell made at the April 22 Keep Chandler Beautiful political forum was the water situation in growing cities.

Daniell said cities that don't prepare for growth ahead of time can run out of water.

"If we run out of water we're in trouble," Daniell said.

Melissa Lehman said she was concerned about the level of communication between the city and its citizens.

If elected, Lehman said, she would be educated on Chandler affairs and ask the community what they think about issues affecting the city.

"I'd find a consensus and be a representative for them," Lehman said. "When you're on the city council, you're a servant and not there to represent your own interests."

All candidates urged the citizens of Chandler to vote to insure the majority of the voting population elects officials, and not just the majority of the voters.

Giger said he urges citizens to either vote for him or to vote regardless of the vote's recipient.