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Rep. Gerdes retains, residents pass ESD No. 3, marijuana decriminalization
Nearly 40,000 Bastrop County residents cast ballots in the Nov. 5 General Election, voting on special district propositions along with federal and state seats.
About 65% of registered voters in the county turned out, with 52% choosing to vote early, marking a 5% increase from the 2020 election.
Incumbent State House Representative for District 17 Stan Gerdes retained his seat, defeating Democrat Desiree Venable by more than 7,000 votes locally.
Gerdes, a conservative, emphasized priorities including strengthening Texas’ economy, reducing property taxes, securing the border and preventing foreign entities from purchasing Texas farmland.
“It is the honor of my life to serve you in the Texas House,” Gerdes said shortly after clinching the vote. “ The voters of this district overwhelming chose the conservative values that have made Texas great, and resoundingly rejected the destructive liberal alternative.”
Two contested Bastrop County races saw fellow GOP candidates Butch Carmack and James Scoggins secure wins.
Carmack claimed the Precinct 1 county commissioner seat with 59% of the vote, while Scoggins won the Precinct 2 constable position with 60%.
The cities of Bastrop, Smithville and Mustang Ridge, along with their Extra-Territorial Jurisdictions, approved the Emergency Services District No. 3 proposal.
According to ESD representatives, the new EMS district is expected to improve service by adding ambulances and reducing response times. The plan includes a property tax rate increase up to $0.10 per $100 valuation to fund the district.
Elgin City Council took a separate route, approving a letter of intent with Acadian Ambulance Service, the city’s current EMS provider, in August. City Manager Tom Mattis explained that the council agreed to hold off on an ESD vote until after the election to see the county’s direction on ESD No. 3.
“There is no decision to be made until after the election,” Mattis said.
In Bastrop, 11 of 13 propositions passed.
Nearly 70% of voters favored the “Bastrop Freedom Act” for limited enforcement of marijuana offenses. However, voters rejected proposals to amend the city’s charter with gender-neutral terminology and remove the requirement for the city manager to reside within city limits.
With 3,197 votes in favor and 1,384 opposed, the marijuana decriminalization effort aims to reduce penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana, specifically targeting cases involving four ounces or less.
Currently, Texas law classifies possession of under four ounces as a misdemeanor, and this new measure would prevent local law enforcement from arresting individuals for such offenses.
However, the Act’s passage may spark a legal standoff with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has challenged similar decriminalization initiatives in other cities, including Elgin.
On the broader political stage, Bastrop County voters leaned red. Over 23,000 ballots, or 58% of the vote, went to President Elect Donald Trump, while 55% supported the reelection of Senator Ted Cruz.
