Five candidates vying for Hospital District

Last Fall, the Liberty County Hospital District No. 1 received much attention as voters went to the polls to decide on funding for a new Liberty Dayton Regional Medical Center. Those efforts failed, and now for the first time in several years, there will be a contested election for two of the seats on the board.

Victor Barranco and Dwight Pruitt currently hold those two atlarge seats. Once again, Barranco is bidding for a seat, while newcomers Bill Griffin, Marcus Brand, Milton Fregia, and Julie Woodward are all vying for a spot. Pruitt opted not to run as he sought a place on the Dayton City Council.

An at-large system elects the board, and the top two vote recipients will be selected for a two-year term.

The remaining members of that board are Bruce Stratton, Paul Henry, and Ed Pickett, and all of their terms expire in 2023.

The Hospital District vote will be held with other municipal elections Saturday, May 7.