HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Voters in Houston County went to the polls for an array of different elections.
Ranging from a county SPLOST, a so-called "brunch bill" and city council races, 13WMAZ has you covered for your local races.
Here are the results for Houston County's Tuesday elections.
Warner Robins Brunch Bill:
This bill would allow restaurants in Warner Robins to serve alcohol earlier, which local restaurants argue will allow them to be more competitive in the world of brunch.
Now, restaurants can only serve alcohol starting at 12:30 p.m., but if approved, they could start selling alcoholic beverages at 11 a.m.
In 2018, the state legislature allowed local municipalities to vote to allow their restaurants to serve alcohol earlier than the state's 12:30 p.m. start time.
In Houston County, the cities of Perry and Centerville already have brunch bills. Macon-Bibb County and Baldwin County also have approved brunch bills.
Here are the results of the Warner Robins Brunch Bill:
Yes: 65% (2,535)
No: 35% (1,342)
Houston County SPLOST:
The Houston County SPLOST — or 1% sales tax — is on ballots across the county. The funding essentially adds a penny in sales tax for every dollar spent in Houston County.
Back in 2018, local voters agreed to level the 1% sales tax, but voter approval will end in Sept. 2024. Because of that, the county commission is hoping to renew the funding for another six years.
Tax dollars that come in from SPLOST funds go to "capital projects." That is essentially funds that you can physically see like roads, parks buildings or other similar projects.
Here are the results for Houston County's SPLOST referendum:
Yes: 73% (5,308)
No: 27% (1,915)
After the results came in, Houston County Commission Chairman Dan Perdue reacted to the results — and what the county can do with those funds.
"Through the citizens approving this program, that's $200 million that we get to invest in infrastructure, in buildings, and park and recreations, and public safety, that we really would not have had otherwise," Perdue said.
Warner Robins City Council Post 2:
Incumbent City Council member Charlie Bibb is facing off against L. Ellis Carter. City Council Post 2 is the "at large" seat in Warner Robins, meaning every eligible voter in Warner Robins can cast their ballot in this race.
Bibb has served Warner Robins for the past 4 years but Carter — a veteran and realtor — is trying to unseat Bibb.
Here are your results for the Warner Robins City Council Post 2:
Ellis Carter: 50% (1,918)
Charlie Bibb: 50% (1,921)
What's next for Post 2?
These totals do not include any provisional ballots, which are votes that are cast but held due to possible issues. That includes cases where voters show up at the wrong polling places or if there are questions about a voter's registration.
Because of that — and the three-vote margin — 13WMAZ is not projecting a winner in the Warner Robins Post 2 race. While provisional ballots don't often decide elections, with the razor-thin margin in this race, they could possibly impact this race.
Across the county, there are four provisional ballots.
Additionally, under Georgia law, Carter can call for a recount because of how close the results are. Carter would be able to call for a recount when the results are certified, and that would include any relevant provisional ballots. The certification process typically happens by Friday.
Centerville City Council Post 4:
In the city of Centerville, incumbent councilman Edward Armijo is being challenged by Larry Word.
Here are your election results for Centerville City Council Post 4:
Edward Armijo: 73% (82)
Larry Word: 27% (30)
There were many high-profile races across Central Georgia.
Watch our team's on-the-ground reporting on the recent elections in Houston County and across Central Georgia.