Dan McQueen took over as Corpus Christi’s mayor on Dec. 13, 2016. He apparently resigned by way of a Facebook post on Jan. 18, 2017. Courtesy photo
Corpus Christi voters held their own revolution at the polls Nov. 8 by throwing out three incumbents, including Mayor Nelda Martinez. But they also approved two bond issues that will raise taxes to pay for better residential streets.
The second time was the charm for mayoral candidate Dan McQueen, who won handily in his second attempt to unseat Martinez. McQueen took 55 percent of the vote to Martinez’s 45 percent.
Three newcomers took the city council at-large seats in a field of eight candidates. Although Michael Hunter, who had the second-highest number of votes, is technically an incumbent, he has only served nine months on the council. He was appointed in March to replace Lillian Riojas after she resigned to take a job in San Antonio.
Joe McComb, who has served as a member of both the city council and the Nueces County Commissioners Court, won the most votes at 21 percent, while newcomer Paulette Guajardo narrowly bested incumbent Chad Magill with 16.5 percent of the vote. Magill took 16.37 percent for fourth place.
In single-member districts, Carolyn Vaughn won 75 percent of the vote to retain her District 1 seat, while District 2 incumbent Brian Rosas was soundly defeated by Ben Molina, who received 61 percent of the vote.
District 3 incumbent Lucy Rubio took 69 percent of the vote to defeat her challenger, while in District 4, an uneven battle was fought by two newcomers. Greg Smith won with 67 percent of the vote to replace the retiring Colleen McIntyre.
Rudy Garza Jr. ran unopposed in District 5.
The new members will be sworn in and get to work at the Dec. 13 city council meeting.
PROPOSITIONS
Proposition 1 to make the Type A sales tax into a Type B tax to expand the scope of how the money can be spent won with 54 percent of the vote. The one-eighth-cent sales tax, which would have expired in 2018, is still geared toward economic development but can now also be used for construction, maintenance and repairs of arterial and collector streets and roads.
Another proposition aimed at street repair, Proposition 3, won by an even wider margin with 58 percent of the vote. Prop 3 will raise property taxes by 2 cents for $100 of assessed valuation a year for no more than two years (with the idea it will be approved by voters again for two more two-year periods). The money establishes a dedicated fund to be used solely for residential street reconstruction. The tax increase cannot exceed 6 cents per $100 valuation over the six years.
Proposition 12, which also addresses streets and sidewalks, was approved by 64 percent of the vote. It allows the city to issue $18.3 million to design, construct and renovate street, sidewalk and drainage improvement to streets.
