The Cities of Fairfield and Wortham, as well as Wortham ISD will be having an election this year. Fairfield ISD will have a ballot for a special Bond Election.
Early Voting starts Tuesday, April 22nd and runs thru Tuesday, April 29th. Click here for dates, times, and poll locations.
Election Day is set for Saturday, May 3, 2025.
The City of Wortham will have a race for Mayor in this election cycle.
Sitting Mayor, Pellie Goolsby will face off against candidate Patricia (Patty) Jones.
Both candidates submitted a summary of their skills and what they will bring to the table should they be elected.
Candidates for Mayor
–Pellie Goolsby: I am a proud 4th-generation Goolsby from Wortham, a place I have always called home. I graduated from Wortham High School in 1987 and went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in leadership and business technology from Antioch University. Currently, I serve as the General Manager of The Old Gin in Wortham. In my spare time, I cherish time spent with family and friends.
My duties as Mayor include the administration of the city, implementing policies, and ensuring that the city’s operations run smoothly.
Additionally, I often collaborate with city council members, local businesses, state government officials, and community organizations to promote economic development and improve the quality of life for residents.
As Mayor, I work for the citizens of Wortham, representing their interests and addressing their concerns.
It has been a great honor to serve Wortham as Mayor. I am deeply committed to the well-being and progress of our community. My dedication to Wortham is rooted in my family’s long history here, and I am passionate about preserving our town’s heritage and being a good steward of its future. I want my constituents to know that I am always accessible and ready to listen to their concerns and ideas. Together, we can continue to make Wortham a wonderful place to live, work, and raise families.
My qualifications for the role of Mayor stem from my deep-rooted connection to Wortham and my extensive experience in leadership and management. As a 4th generation Goolsby from Wortham, I have a profound understanding of our community’s values and needs. In my current role as the General Manager of The Old Gin, I have demonstrated my ability to oversee operations and drive economic development.
Vote for me because my commitment to Wortham is unwavering, and I am passionate about preserving our town and will be a good steward for its future. I am always accessible and ready to listen to the concerns and ideas of our residents.
There are two projects that I am particularly excited to see through for the city. The first is the long-overdue remodeling of City Hall, which will create a safer and more inviting space for both city employees and citizens to engage with council members during meetings. The second project is securing a new water source for Wortham, which is crucial for our community’s future sustainability and growth.
I am actively present in the community by maintaining a visible and approachable presence around town. As the General Manager of The Old Gin, I am frequently at the establishment, which allows me to interact with citizens and customers regularly. This role provides me the unique opportunity to stay connected with the community, listen to their concerns, and address their needs directly. Additionally, I have prioritized attending local events, participating in community activities, and engaging with residents through various channels to ensure that I am accessible and responsive to their needs.
Streets are a constant topic of discussion in Wortham, as they are in many towns. As a council, we have diligently worked to address various issues that must be resolved to repair them. The key to this issue is always funding. We are currently collaborating with the Wortham Police Department to address code enforcement issues that directly impact property values. As a city, it is crucial for us to maintain and improve these values to fund such projects effectively.
During my term as mayor, I have diligently worked to enhance the infrastructure and well-being of our town. I successfully secured and completed a lift station rehabilitation grant for the Brazos lift station, ensuring a more reliable wastewater system. Additionally, I made significant progress on the hazardous mitigation grant for generators, which will be strategically placed at various city locations to enhance emergency preparedness. I also oversaw the replacement and upgrade of the aerator system at the wastewater plant, improving our environmental impact.
A collaborative water study with engineers marked the first step toward securing an additional water source for the future. Thanks to a downtown revitalization sidewalk grant, we are working to make our main street safer and more accessible. I initiated the long-overdue remodeling of City Hall, creating a safer, more inviting space for both city employees and citizens to engage with council members during meetings.
Throughout my time in office, I have remained dedicated to active community engagement, supporting local businesses, and attending events to ensure our town thrives. My efforts have been focused on strengthening our town and community, fostering a sense of unity, pride, and resilience.
I am immensely proud of the work and reputation of our police and fire departments. Their dedication and efforts are vital to ensuring a safe and secure community for all residents. Their commitment to public safety and professionalism in handling emergencies is truly commendable.
–Patty Jones: I have lived in Wortham for 27 years, and I am a community volunteer with a professional background as an attorney/CPA.
My volunteer experiences have provided a network of fellow citizens who share ideas and information about our community’s needs and priorities.
My professional experiences have engrained efficiency and accountability into my everyday lifestyle.
Together, my community involvement and professional background enable me to see Wortham from different angles and to see the big picture. I have the necessary time and energy to serve Wortham effectively.
Over the past 12 months, Wortham has excelled by working on sidewalk improvements on Main Street despite challenges in completing the project as designed.
I would like to continue to improve our recreational areas for Wortham citizens and to provide safe and accessible areas for children and families to play sports and to enjoy recreation.
I would also like to add opportunities in our recreational areas for our youth to explore music and art.
As Mayor, I would work with City Council to seek grant opportunities and other fundraising methods to accomplish this.
Wortham’s infrastructure (streets, water and sewer) remains our most pressing issue. We all complain about potholes, water leaks, sewer leaks, and water prices. We all also know the remedies will take time and money, and everyone is short on both. I believe we need to quit complaining and take action.
There are state and federal programs that provide financial assistance, such as grants and low-interest loans, for infrastructure projects in small and rural communities just like Wortham. As Mayor, I would work with City Council to have Wortham apply for one or more of these programs. These programs are competitive, and successfully winning an award does not mean Wortham can become complacent – – Wortham must continue to do the work to repeat the application process during open application time frames.
As Mayor, I would also work with City Council to revitalize the infrastructure bond proposal that was shelved years ago by our then City Council and get that proposal updated and brought to a vote.
In addition, as Mayor, I would like to know if there are city projects or expenditures that are grant-eligible, but that we currently pay for, or self-fund, with city funds.
If so, as Mayor, I would work with City Council to have Wortham apply for the grant(s) to pay for those grant-eligible city projects or expenditures, which would then free up our city funds to pay for other city projects and expenditures that are not eligible for grants.
Similarly, as Mayor, I would take a hard look at Wortham’s current funds (incoming and outgoing) to see if any city funds currently allocated elsewhere can be repurposed towards city infrastructure.
Wortham, our town infrastructure demands our attention. We cannot keep kicking the can down the road…into a pothole. If you are a doer and not just a complainer, please join me in taking action to make a better Wortham for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.
There is always room for improvement, and change is one way to provide new and fresh perspectives for moving the City of Wortham forward.
As Mayor, I will work hard for all citizens and business owners of Wortham to build a strong and growing community.
Wortham Council
There are two at-large seats up for reelection. Incumbents Scott Batts and Patrick Evans will face each other and an additional contender, Deborah Darlene Butcher Evans.
All candidates were invited to participate in a questionnaire to help voters get to know them.
1. What qualifications or special skills will you bring to the City Council?
–Scott Batts: I have a master’s degree in business, and I feel that I can analyze decisions regarding our expenditures, and I feel that budgeting and its details are cited and noted. I enjoy listening to our citizens and sometimes things may not go their way, but they deserve to be listened to, and their comments taken and evaluated. I feel in this generation, the human aspect is falling away, and true conversation skills seem to be diminishing. I appreciate the ones that go through the effort to speak to us and voice their concerns.
–Patrick Evans: Hello, my name is Patrick Evans, and I am currently seeking re-election for Wortham City Council as I currently serve on the council. I believe my current time on the council has given me insight into what it actually means and entails to serve, and that is something that you must know and understand before taking on a responsibility like serving on a council.
–Deborah Darlene Butcher Evans: Hello, my name is Deborah Evans and I’m currently seeking a seat on the Wortham City Council. I have previously served Wortham City Council and EDC and feel like I can bring some of the things I learned then to the table. Having me on the council won’t feel like starting completely over with someone new who doesn’t know about serving on a board.
2. Looking over the past 12 months, what has the City excelled in doing?
–Scott Batts: I think our city does a good job allocating money when it is in short supply. There are some things that are needed, and they are on a list, but we also do a good job of prioritizing these needs and getting them set for projects and implementing them. I am glad that we renewed our interlocal agreement with the City of Streetman. Some citizens voiced concern, but that agreement has paid dividends, and with some evaluation and policy changes, will be a good project for another year.
–Patrick Evans: Over the last 12 months the city has excelled well in improving the look of the town by code enforcement and redoing sidewalks and etc..
–Deborah Darlene Butcher Evans: Looking at the last 12 months, I feel like the City of Wortham has excelled in making improvements to our downtown area. There are currently new sidewalks going in and the city hall is being remodeled.
3. Name one thing you would like to see improved, and what you would do as Councilman to see it accomplished.
–Scott Batts: I would like to see the council be more automated. I have brought up the ideas of agendas and projects sent out electronically and attachments sent to us so we can prepare for meetings and workshops. I do believe this will cut costs on office supplies and make time management for all of us more efficient. There are also some projects that are ongoing that I want to see completed and electing me back to the council for another year might bring those to a close, such as appointing a new Chief of Police and the sidewalk project downtown.
–Patrick Evans: I would like to see the streets and where we get our water improved.
–Deborah Darlene Butcher Evans: (Combined with question #4)
4. What is the most pressing issue faced by the City and how do you propose to remedy the problem?
–Scott Batts: I think the situation with the police department was a tough situation to deal with, but I think the council did an adequate job of calming the storm until we could rethink the issues. We must take a pragmatic look at the entire situation and do what is best for our city and not jump to the first person that opens the doors. The situation has stabilized and if the citizens speak and put new leadership in place, then the process can continue. I hope to be able to continue to see through this and move on with someone that will continue our police department running at its expected high level.
–Patrick Evans: A pressing issue that needs to be addressed by the city is getting incomplete sidewalks completed correctly before someone gets injured.
–Deborah Darlene Butcher Evans: One of the most pressing issues faced by our city right now is lack of participation from our community and community engagement. To remedy this problem, I recommend making sure any meetings that citizens can attend are posted in locations that are often frequented by the citizens so that they can attend the meetings. I also recommend getting residents more involved in decision making process, foster community spaces and promote social cohesion.
5. Is there anything else you would like voters to know?
–Scott Batts: I have lived in Wortham my entire life and I want to continue to serve my community as a city council electee. We have some new folks in our community and surrounding areas and they have wonderful ideas and some positive things can take place. Our citizens are the backbone of what we are trying to accomplish, and they are always the focus of my time on the council. I love this community and want to continue to serve you as a council member for the next two years. The decision is yours and I would appreciate your consideration.
–Patrick Evans: I would like to see more citizens attend the council meetings regularly and actually feel comfortable approaching the council with any concerns or thank yous. If re-elected as a council member I will continue to encourage the citizens to attend the council meetings and let them know when/where they are held.
–Deborah Darlene Butcher Evans: (No response given.)
Now that you know more about your candidates, get out there and vote!
