A joint election for The City of San Saba and San Saba ISD will be held May 12, 2012. Early voting is April 30th to May 8th. Early and election day voting will take place at San Saba City Hall Council Chambers at 303 S. Clear St. in San Saba. The City of Richland Springs, Richland Springs ISD, and Cherokee ISD will not hold elections.In the interest of providing voters with an opportunity to learn more about their candidates for local offices, The San Saba News & Star recently mailed a questionnaire to all candidates in the San Saba School Board and San Saba City Council elections.All candidates were asked the following questions:1) Please tell us a little about yourself and your background.2) What qualifications do you feel you would bring to this office?3) What do you see as the main issues or problems facing the school district or city at this time?Ken Jordan - Incumbent - Running unopposed for City of San Saba Mayor)I was born and raised in Mason County and graduated from Mason High School in 1977. I attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1980. After graduation, I worked in Washington, DC with Congressman Charles Stenholm, served as the Chief of Staff for Congressman Tom Loeffler and the Agriculture Coordinator for the Governor’s Texas State Federal Relations office in DC.In 1986, I moved to San Saba to join in my family’s cattle auction business. In 2002, I became the managing partner of the Jordan Cattle Auction. In 2008, I also became one of the owners of Harry’s in San Saba.I am married to a native of San Saba, Kynda Ellis Jordan; and we have 3 daughters – Karoline (20), Kristin (17) and Katherine (10). I am a member of the First Baptist Church where I serve on the Buildings and Grounds Committee.I have been involved in managing and owning my own business for over 26 years. I have had the privilege of serving as Mayor for the past 4 years and served on the City Council the year prior to being elected as Mayor. I have also served on numerous boards and councils including serving as the chairman of the Texas Beef Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Executive Committee (NCBA), President of the Texas Livestock Marketing Association and currently serving on the Texas Animal Health Commission as an appointment of the Governor’s office.I believe that the knowledge and experience that I have gained as Mayor and by managing my own businesses and serving on these boards, councils and commissions are qualifications that continue to help me serve as Mayor of San Saba in managing budgets and resources. •Developing and implementing a plan for the City to improve the streets and the infrastructure below the streets (water and sewer lines). We are putting a working group together to map out the current conditions of the infrastructure and the streets throughout town. We will be working with an engineering firm on determining what the needs are, based on the mapping and the cost associated with the repairs. We will also look into all current resources that are available to fund the work since projects of this kind are very expensive. Once the review is complete, we will develop and implement a plan to begin improvements on the streets and infrastructure.•Continuing to implement the plans, goals and priorities that we have established and review them each year and make adjustments as needed. It is very important that the City has priorities and goals set for 5, 10 and 20 years forward.•Continuing to deal with the impact of the large increases in fuel prices and health care cost and the effect it has on the City budget. SAN SABA CITY COUNCIL Deryl HoytMy name is Deryl Hoyt. I am a third generation businessman living in San Saba, Texas. My Grandfather E.E. Hoyt came here in 1902 and sold pianos and owned a photography studio at the present day location of the H&R Block building. My father Elgin Hoyt had a construction business. My Mother's family has roots in San Saba, also coming from Feazle's west of town.My wife Janet and I have owned San Saba Printing for over 35 years. We are proud in the fact that we employ local people and serve a 100 mile radius, bringing revenue into San Saba.The one thing we are most proud of is that we have 6 generations of Golden Armadillos!I'm starting my third term as president of the Rotary Club of San Saba. I was named "Rotarian of the Year," and in the past served as secretary, treasurer, and vice president of the San Saba Rotary Club. I am a former president of the Chamber of Commerce (2 terms) and also Chamber Man of the Year. I served as president of San Saba Little League and the Llano Chamber of Commerce. I have been a past director with HCCAA Inc., CTOG, San Saba Appraisal District, Colorado River Trail & Headwaters Region, and the LBJ Chamber of Commerce. I was very active in bringing the prison facility to San Saba, and was also on the City Council during the building of the sewer plant. I was on the Economic Development Board in acquiring the Parks & Wildlife grant for the track and the improvements to Mill Pond Park.I am a very proud member of the Church of the Hills and serve as a deacon.In qualifying for the duty of Alderman on the City Council, I have served 2 terms and was mayor pro-tem.If elected I think that communication is very important between the city and it's citizens. In other words, make sure all of our citizens understand the direction that our city fathers have for the future of San Saba.I personally want to center my attention on street improvements. We certainly have great employees and they all have San Saba at heart, doing wonderful things in town. When I was on the council for 2 terms, one of my main interest was having a good relationship with the city employees.I also see a need of helping our senior citizens. My cell phone number will always be available to all the citizens of San Saba.If you have questions I will do my best to get an answer. Martha Leigh Whitten - Incumbent)I graduated from Texas A&M University in 1980. After graduation I went to work in Austin for Ernst & Whinney. Later, we moved to San Saba where I opened my own CPA practice. Currently my husband and I own a pecan business, a real estate agency and we ranch here in San Saba County. We are members of the First Baptist Church where I serve on the Stewardship Committee. I am also on the Economic Development Board. Bob and I have been married 34 years and have four children, three have graduated from A&M and the youngest is a freshman.My financial background has helped me on the council to understand the budgeting process, fund accounting and financial analysis. Growing up in San Saba I have always been proud of our beautiful environment and natural resources. I believe the most important qualification that I bring to the office is my love for this city and the people that have made it such a wonderful place to live and raise a family. My ancestors settled here generations ago, donated land for churches and school facilities and I want to keep giving back to the community I love.I believe we have made great strides in cleaning up our city and beautifying our downtown and parks in the last few years. Due to budget restraints, we must develop a long range plan to achieve all our goals for the city. The streets are definitely our next priority and need immediate attention. A committee is being appointed to study that infrastructure and develop a plan that would not only improve the streets but also incorporate improvements to the sewer and water system so we don’t have to destroy what was just repaired for maintenance.Oleta Reyes Behrens - IncumbentMy name is Oleta Reyes Behrens. I was born and raised in San Saba. I am employed by Central Texas Telephone Cooperative. I have two children and three grandchildren.I feel I am highly qualified to represent each and every citizen of San Saba. I am Hispanic and bilingual so I can communicate with the entire community about any concerns they may have. I am pleased to have been part of all improvements in our parks and our beautiful new downtown San Saba. I am honored to have served as your council woman for 8 years and would appreciate your continuing support.I am aware that our streets are in need of repair. I am proud that we are in the process of forming a committee to evaluate the conditions of the roads and streets and come up with a solution to this problem.San Saba ISD School Board CandidatesMarcie Oliver Maxcey - IncumbentI have lived in San Saba most of my life. I attended San Saba Schools and graduated in 1984. I graduated from Texas State University with a BBA in Finance in 1987. I attended Graduate School also at Texas State for one year in the School of Political Science. I had an internship with the Texas Attorney General's Office and then continued to work in Austin for the Texas Department of Insurance in their legal department for four years. In 1992 I returned to San Saba and married Reagan Maxcey and we decided to make San Saba our home. I opened a gift store "SugarBaker's" in 1995 and continued for 16 wonderful years there. I closed the store in April of last year. I currently am working at my family's pecan business ''Oliver Pecan Company" which has been in business since the early 1980's. My other family business interests include Cen-Tex Feed and Fertilizer Company. We have three daughters - Alexa, a junior; McKenna, a freshman; and Linzey, a fifth grader.I feel that my background in Finance and Accounting as well as owning and running a business gives me a great deal of knowledge in the area of school finance, budgets, staffing, and financial accountability; I feel my legal background gives me great insight into legislative matters and the legal issues facing schools in this ever-changing environment. And, of course, being a mother to 3 daughters in the school system gives me the greatest knowledge of all. When it comes to a quality education, curriculum, extra-curricular activities, student safety and the well being of all of our children, being a parent provides one an enormous amount of insight into the daily challenges facing our students, our staff and our school.Of course the matter of school finance is an ever evolving problem that all schools face, especially in this economic downturn that is currently facing our nation. School finance is especially a hardship for small school districts like ours. And, as a board we must be good stewards of these public and taxpayer funds. The children of San Saba deserve the same quality education as provided by larger wealthier school districts, and I believe that it is not only possible but is becoming a reality. But being able to provide qualified staff and duly compensating them is something that the board needs to put at the forefront. Providing a quality education to each and every child, producing productive citizens, encouraging our children to be high achievers, assisting in the desire to pursue higher education, developing great minds---these are all things that I as a board member take very seriously. We are dealing with our greatest commodities--our children and their future. And Finally---GO DILLOS!Michael Deans - IncumbentThank you for the opportunity to present myself and my views as a candidate for the San Saba ISD Trustee position. The following are the questions and my subsequent responses to each of them:My name is Michael Deans. I have lived in San Saba most of my life. I attended San Saba schools from kindergarten through my graduation in 1986. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Tarleton State University in Criminal Justice. I am married to a beautiful lady, Marian Deans and we will soon celebrate our 14th anniversary. We have been blessed with one child, our 12 year old son, Wyatt who is a 7th grader at San Saba Middle School. I am employed by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission as an enforcement agent.I feel like my education and experience in state government are great assets to the School Board. I have seventeen years of state service. My experience in Juvenile Corrections and Law Enforcement has afforded me the opportunity to work with some of the most difficult teens and adults in our fair state. My past term on the board has given me the insight of how the board operates and how best to fulfill our duties and functions. I am personally vested in the success of our educational system and its students. The School Board is facing the same issue we all are during these financially trying times; the challenge to manage our resources most efficiently and effectively to best serve our needs. We must ensure that San Saba ISD provides a topnotch education to our children with the available resources. We have to retain motivated, professional teachers and make certain they are recognized for work well done. On top of these, the Board is in the process of a school building project that will require continued oversight. work well done. On top of these, the Board is in the process of a school building project that will require continued oversight. Kim Kirk - Incumbent I have lived in San Saba for 22 years. I am a registered nurse and work locally in home health care. My husband, Regan manages the family ranch and we also own a construction business. My daughter Raley is a student at San Saba Middle School. I grew up in a small town much like San Saba and attended a rural school. My motivation for being a Board member is the opportunity I have to be a part of the decision making processes to help provide the support our students and staff need to succeed. I have served as a Trustee for the past 6 years and am currently the Board President. Having this experience is imperative at a time when school districts are struggling to stay financially sound all the while providing the best education that we can for our students and providing our staff with the means to do this. I am already apprised of the many issues facing public education at the federal, state and local levels. I have worked diligently, along with my fellow board members and the administration to keep San Saba ISD fiscally sound without compromising the education our students receive.The State School Finance situation. There are huge inequities in this system. Schools are being required to implement state mandates, programs and testing, but no additional resources are being provided for these things. The gap in funding between districts needs to be closed. Smaller schools are sometimes unable to provide the means to prepare students for success after high school due to these inequities. That is not the case at San Saba ISD, but it will continue to present a challenge until the State revises the School Finance System. Keith HarrisI was born in Kerrville, Texas in 1969 and went through the Kerrville ISD until my parents moved to a ranch outside Center Point during my Sophmore year. I attended college at The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on a golf scholarship and received all Conference honors in 1993, 1994, and 1995. I have been a Golf Professional since 1996, and will become a Class A PGA member next week. I have been the Pro here in San Saba from 2002-2006, and then again from 2008 until the present. I am blessed with the most incredible wife, Crystal and four great kiddos, Tori, Chase, Drew, and Rachel. I studied Physical Education and English during college, and have been involved in many clinics and lessons during my 16 years as a golf professional, so I feel that I have an idea of what ourteachers go through. I am also a business owner, and a supervisor for the Golf Course and that gives me a working knowledge of budgets, management, and the proper chain of command that must be followed for the group to work at it’s full potential. I also feel that I have a vested interest in the future of our school with children enrolled in Elementary, Middle School, and High School. I feel that these are very exciting times for San Saba, with the new school fixing to break ground, and with us dropping to 1-A it is a great time to be an Armadillo. The main problem that I can see facing the school board at this time is the concerns with the economy and the funding for the improvements.