Aransas Pass certifies May election results and swears in mayor, two council members

The Aransas Pass City Council canvassed and certified May election returns and administered oaths of office to Mayor Jason Knight and Council members Ruth Camarillo Smith (Place 1) and Louanna Lulu Martin (Place 3) during a special meeting.

City staff said San Patricio County provided two reports — a canvassing report and a tabulation report — that the council used to compare totals before certifying the returns. The staff member who read the reports said the totals included returns from San Patricio County, Aransas County and one voter from Nueces County. The tabulation report was read aloud as showing Jason Knight with 588 votes and Ruth Camarillo Smith with 476 votes; the transcript records the Place 3 total as read in the meeting (recorded in the transcript as "200 and 90 7").

The council voted to accept the canvass and certify the election returns. A motion was made and seconded; two "aye" votes were recorded. The meeting record does not specify which council members moved or seconded the motion or give a roll-call vote tally by name; the presiding official announced the motion carried.

After certification, the council administered the oath of office. Ruth Camarillo Smith and Louanna Lulu Martin repeated the oath for their council seats; Jason Knight repeated the oath for mayor. Carlos Valdez, who identified himself as from Corpus Christi and described his public-service background, offered brief remarks before Knight’s oath and praised Knight as the new mayor. After taking the oath, Mayor Jason Knight thanked supporters and said he would be "an open book" and work to produce visible accomplishments for the city.

The special meeting was short; the presiding official adjourned the session after the swearing-in and brief remarks.