PUBLIC NOTICE: NOTICE OF ELECTION

ln accordance with the provisions of the Texas Agriculture Code, Chapter 74,Subchaptcr D, and 4 Tex. Admin. Code, Chapter 3, Subchaptcr A, the Texas Department of Agriculture (the Department) will conduct a board election in the Northern Blacklands Boll Weevil Eradication Zone, in order to select a representative of the above-referenced zone to serve on the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation Board of Directors. The board is charged with administering the boll weevil eradication program in Texas.

The Northern Blacklands Eradication Zone consists of all of Montague, Cooke, Grayson, Fannin, Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Cass, Morris, Titus, Franklin, Hopkins, Delta, Hunt, Rockwall, Collin, Denton, Wise, Jack, Parker, Tarrant, Dallas, Kaufman, Rains, Van Zandt, Henderson, Navarro, Ellis, Johnson, Hood, Somervell, Bosque, Hamilton, and Hill counties; and those parts of McLennan and Limestone counties north of State Highway 84.

Any cotton 1:,rrowehra ving planted cotton in the year 2020 within the zone defined above is eligible to vote, and, ifhe or she resides in the Northern Blacklands Zone and has at least seven years experience as a cotton grower, can have his or her name placed on the ballot as a candidate in the board member election. A cotton grower is defined as a person who grows cotton intended to be commercial cotton. The term includes an individual who, as owner, landlord, tenant or sharecropper, is entitled to share in the cotton grown and available for marketing from the farm, or share in the proceeds from the sale of the cotton from the farm or from an indemnity or other payment received from or related to the planting, growing, or failure of the cotton. Any person eligible to vote in the board member election that resides in the Northern Blacklands Zone and meets the seven-year experience requirement may place their name in nomination for election to the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation Board by written application to the Department at the address provided below. Nomination forms are provided by the Department and must be signed by the nominee and at least ten other eligible voters. The nomination form must be received by the Department at its office located in Austin by November 17, 2021 and must provide the legal residence of the applicant. A nomination form may be obtained by contacting the Department office or any county agent located in the voting area.

The board election will be held by mail balloting. Ballots will be mailed to cotton growers by in November. All ballots cast by mail must be postmarked no later than December 17, 2021 in order to be valid.

For more infonnation regarding the referendum and election, or if you are a cotton grower in the above-referenced area and do not receive a ballot, please contact Patrick Dudley with the Texas Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 12847, Austin, Texas, 78711, call (512) 787-9966 or by e-mail at Patrick.Dudley@TexasAgriculture.gov.