Early voting underway in SJC runoff
June 7 runoff to fill seat vacated by Marie Flickinger
Early voting for the June 7 San Jacinto College runoff election began Tuesday, May 27, and will continue through Tuesday, June 3.
Voters will decide who will fill the Position 3 seat vacated by Leader co-founder Marie Flickinger shortly before her death last year.
In the May 3 general election, incumbent Salvador Serrano Jr. – who had been appointed interim trustee – narrowly edged out longtime SJC staff member Judy Harrison for the top spot in the four-person race, with each of the two candidates receiving a little more than 41 percent of the vote.
A runoff election is necessary because no candidate in the race sured the 50-percent threshold established in the college’s election charter. Challengers Mariel Jimenez and Frank Ortiz received 9 percent and 8 percent of the vote in the May 3 election, respectively.
The winner will serve a six-year term.
In a separate runoff election, Pasadena voters will decide will fill three City Council positions.
The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is May 27.
Nearby early voting centers include Harris County Annex, 10851 Scarsdale at Beamer; City of South Houston Municipal Court, 1019 Dallas St. in South Houston; and East Harris County Activity Center, 7340 Spencer Highway in Pasadena.
Early voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on Sunday when hours are noon to 7 p.m.
For additional information on the June 7 runoff election or for a complete list of polling locations, visit www.harrisvotes.org.
City remains mum on pool openings
At press time, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department had yet to announce its 2025 swimming schedule, just ahead of the traditionally busy Memorial Day weekend.
Citing a national lifeguard shortage, the city has had limited pool hours since the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. For the past three years, HPARD has staggered the swimming pool openings, prioritizing the parks with the highest attendance in previous years.
In recent years, the city pools were opened in three separate phases. For the South Belt community, the swimming pool at Wilson Memorial Park on Gilpin near Edgebrook and SH 3/Old Galveston Road was the nearest city facility to open during the first phase. The pools at Sagemont Park and Beverly Hills Park didn’t open until the third phase.
Based on the city’s swimming schedules the past three years, however, the pools will operate on limited hours once they open, with each park being open only 2-3 days per week.
An announcement from the city about its 2025 swimming schedule is expected to be posted on the HPARD website in the coming days at www.houstontx.gov/parks/swimming.html.
The city is offering a $500 incentive to potential lifeguards. All lifeguards must be 16 years of age or older. While all lifeguards must be strong swimmers, previous lifeguard experience is not necessary.
For more information on applying to become a city lifeguard, visit www.houstontx.gov/parks/pdfs/2025/AquaticsHiringProcess_2025.pdf or the HPARD’s Aquatics Office at 832-395-7129.
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