Smith County commissioners on Tuesday amended precinct reconfigurations originally approved in December. The changes including keeping Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in Pct. 44.

Smith County commissioners on Tuesday amended precinct reconfigurations originally approved in December.

The redrawing of voting precincts happens every 10 years in coordination with the release of U.S. Census date, Smith County Elections Administrator Michelle Allcon said in December.

Rules for redrawing election precincts include that they must meet territorial and population requirements and cannot have more than one commissioner or congressional district. School district and city boundaries also are considered.

The reconfiguration does not change a voter’s Texas House of Senate district, commissioner precinct or justice of the peace precinct, Allcon said. The percentage of Republican or Democratic precincts also are not changed, she added.

The original reconfigurations approved by commissioners in December included changing voting Pct. 44 by moving land that contains Tyler Pounds Regional Airport to voting Pct. 35. That move eliminated incorporated and unincorporated territory in Pct. 44.

Officials found that change couldn’t be made because the western boundary of Pct. 44 is a justice of the peace line that separates JP Pcts. 1 and 2, Allcon said. The airport will have to stay in Pct. 44 in order not to separate territory within a JP boundary, she added.

“This does not affect any voters or any individuals because you don’t have people living in the airport,” Allcon said.

In other business Tuesday, commissioners also presented the Lindale High School Art Club with a certificate and $200 check for winning the People’s Choice Award in the Downtown Holiday Window Decorating contest.

High school art teacher Rebecca Harrison and her students painted a mural on the annex building for the first holiday window contest sponsored by Tyler’s Main Street program. The mural depicted a winter wonderland.

“We are so appreciative of them for doing that for us,” Pct. 4 Commissioner JoAnn Hampton said.

Seven Smith County employees also were recognized at Tuesday’s meeting for their years of service. Those honored were:

• IT Systems Analysis William Christian: 20 years
• Adult Probation Supervisor Kendrick Freeman: 15 years
• Adult Probation PSI Writer Laura Gerick: 15 years
• Juvenile Services Probation Officer Felonda Prince: 15 years
• Juvenile Services Probation Supervisor of H.O.P.E. Academy Oscar Perdomo: 10 years
• Juvenile Services Probation Officer Karla Bautista: 5 years
• Pct. 4 Constable Josh Joplin: 5 years