Additional voting site in Rowlett approved after weeks of controversy
DALLAS COUNTY — After weeks of debate, Dallas County Commissioners approved to have one more additional voting site of the City of Rowlett.
In a 4-1 vote, commissioners agreed on Tuesday to approve two total sites for the city: the Rowlett Community Center and the originally approved voting site of Freedom Place Church. However, Tuesday's vote follows weeks of controversy.
"This saga was really unnecessary, but unfortunately it had to happen," said Blake Margolis, the mayor of Rowlett.
Margolis filed a lawsuit against the county arguing Freedom Place Church only had 10 dedicated parking spots. He said the community center has hundreds of parking spots, is more accessible to the disabled and elderly, and is overall more convenient.
Margolis claims he had to issue a court order to have commissioners finally vote to add the community center as an additional site.
"If they simply followed the Texas election code from the beginning, we wouldn't be here where we are today. It should have been a very easy move," Margolis said.
Margolis said he offered the community center at no cost to the county; however, the new voting site comes with a price tag. According to the commissioner's office, Freedom Place Church will still cost about $15,400 to operate and the Rowlett Community Center will cost $20-$40,000 to pay for voting machines and additional polling place employees.
"Obviously, we always want to spend your tax dollars as frugally as possible," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. "But, I think when it comes to people having an opportunity to vote and dealing with concerns of people on voting, we want to spend that little bit of extra money to resolve those things."
Commissioner John Willey Price, who opposed the additional site from the beginning, shared his thoughts at Monday's meeting, claiming he's worried the decision could cause a domino effect.
"What happens when the next city decides that they want a second voting center? It's a dangerous precedent," Price said.
"I would say that a dangerous precedent is not following the law," Margolis rebutted, "Simply following the law would have prevented all of this. But, here we are."
Jenkins said he thinks other cities could share similar concerns for voting sites in the future, but says the county is prepared if that happens.
"I think, if [the cities] get involved in the process early, tell us their concern, and give a potential solution --- [such as] our community center, our city hall, etc., -- we will be made available so that we can deal with their concern," said Jenkins. "Those are the way things happen all the time, and they get resolved."
No matter the cost of the second site, resident Robin Baggerman told CBS News Texas she's relieved.
"I am so pleased, this is so much more convenient," Baggerman said.
The two sites will be used for the early voting period starting next week as well as for voting in the general election in November.