The upcoming November 3 election will give voters plenty to consider at the polls, with three state issues to decide and local board and council positions to fill.

State Issue 3 is the heavily debated subject this fall – legalization of limited sale and use of marijuana with the creation of 10 facilities with exclusive commercial rights to grow the drug. An advocacy group called ResponsibleOhio toured Ohio this summer to support the initiative.

State Issue 2 was added by state lawmakers concerned that the Issue 3 would grant a monopoly to the 10 facilities. Media sources report if both issues pass, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has stated that Issue 2 would invalidate Issue 3, a claim denied by the amendment’s supporters, who would likely take the issue to the Ohio Supreme Court.

State Issue 1 Creates a bipartisan, public process for drawing legislative districts. Redistricting reform has been attempted a number of times through failed efforts in the legislature and on the ballot.

The full explanation of all ballot items can be found in the Legals section of this issue of the Sentinel.

Locally, there are 30 levy issues to be decided. Levies up for renewal are: Bennington Twp Cemeteries .75 mill 5 years; Cardington Twp Fire 1.5 mills 5 yrs; Franklin Twp Roads 2.5 mills 3 yrs; Harmony Twp Fire 1 mill 5 yrs; N. Bloomfield Twp Roads .5 mill 5 yrs; S. Bloomfield Twp Roads 2.5 mills 5 yrs; Washington Twp Fire 1 mill 5 yrs; Washington Twp Roads 1 mill 5 years; Washington Twp Cemeteries 1 mill 5 yrs; Elm Valley Fire District Fire 2.9 mills 5 yrs; Fredericktown Rec. District Recreational 1.5 mills 3 yrs; Galion City Schools Current Expenses 7.73 mills 5 yrs; Perry-Congress Fire District Fire 1 mill 3 yrs; Cardington Village Current Expenses 1.5 mills 5 yrs; Cardington Village Fire 1.5 mills 5 yrs;. Edison Village Current Expenses 3 mills 5 yrs; Edison Village Streets/Storm Sewers 1.5 mills 5 yrs; and Morrow County Hospital General Fund 2.5 mills 5 yrs.

Replacement levies this fall are: Chesterville Village Fire 1 mill 5 yrs; Chesterville Village Current Expenses 3 mills 5 yrs; Chesterville Village Current Expenses 1 mill 5 yrs; and Mt. Gilead Village Recreational 1 mill 5 yrs.

Additional levies on the ballot are: Marengo Village Current Expenses 2.5 mills continuing; Bennington Twp Roads 2 mills 3 yrs; Canaan Twp Fire 2.5 mills 5 yrs and Gilead Twp Union Cemeteries 0.5 mill 5 yrs. Buckeye Valley Schools Construction has a new New Bond Issue of 3.1 mills for 30 yrs.

Three local options are up for vote Nov. 3: Bennington Twp Local Option Off Premise for Beer; Bennington Twp Local Option On Premise for beer and Mt. Gilead Southwest Local Option Off Premise for beer, Sunday Sales. Several businesses in Bennington Twp. already have local on and off premise options… failure of the local option would eliminate all sales in the township.

Unopposed offices – villages

A number of village seats are open this fall. Running unopposed are Susan Peyton for Cardington Village Mayor, Martha Jane Taylor for Chesterville Village Mayor, Sherry Crawford and Eldonna McKinniss for Edison Council, Rosemary Neal for Chesterville Clerk/Treasurer, Adam Jordan and John Lanning for Chesterville Council, Kottia F. Jarvis for Sparta Village Mayor, Terri L. Hickman for Fulton Village Mayor, Deanna Cox and Steven S. Fissell for Fulton Council, Michael L. Baker for Marengo Village Mayor, Robert J. Beck and Becky Lynn Margraff for Marengo Council, Michael S. Porter for Mt. Gilead Mayor, Jac L. Cooperider for Sparta Clerk/Treasurer, and William B. Cooperider and Stephen Neeld for Sparta Council.

Opposed offices – villages

Vying for two open seats on Cardington Council are Tim Abraham, Steven D. Burton, Richard Garner and Floyd Morris. Running for Edison Village Mayor are Sandra Ackerman and Linda Hemenway.

Competing for two open Mt. Gilead Council seats are Donna Carver and Ed Kline for Mt. Gilead Council, along with write-in candidates Karen McClelland and Sarah Ramsey.

There are no candidates for the Board of Public Affairs for Edison Village.

Township trustee candidates

Steve Lewis vs Steve Serio for Bennington Twp Trustee; John P. Bayles vs. Peg Hissong for Canaan Twp Trustee; candidates for one Harmony Twp seat are Vallie R. Bauer, Burgess Castle, Amy Hubbard, and Aaron W. Smith; in Lincoln Twp., Ron Brown vs James Carroll; Warren Davis, David Miller and Stanley Stoney are running for one N. Bloomfield Twp seat; Barbara J. Miley, Kathy B. Miller and Glenda G. Wilson are all seeking the N. Bloomfield Twp Fiscal Officer position; Clint E. Furniss vs Dean Van Horn for Perry Twp. trustee; Jacob W. Meadows vs Charles Rinehart are seeking the unexpired term for Perry Twp trustee; for Troy Twp, James E. Baker, Donna Baki, Michael W. Heston and Herbert E. Litt are running for trustee; and it’s Gary Eckert vs Natilie D. Miller for Troy Twp Fiscal Officer.

School board candidates

Vying for three seats on the Cardington-Lincoln Board of Education are Tod Brininger, Marilyn R Davis, Charles A. Jones, Denise L. Radcliffe and Troy Ruehrmund.

Loren M. Altizer, John Buchholz and John G. Messmer are competing for two seats on the Highland Board of Education.

Seeking two positions on the Mt. Gilead Board of Education are Brian K. Barnett, Bryce A. Coder, and Virgil S. Staley.

Tim Bachelder and Jeffrey Whisler are on the ballot for two seats on the Northmor board.

For Buckeye Valley, Amy Dutt, Joseph Roden, Randy L. Turner and Jeff White are the candidates for two seats.

In the Fredericktown Local School District, Candice Gallagher, Todd McClay and Ron Winget are vying for two seats.

At the Knox County Educational Service Center in the Fredericktown School District, Ruby Miller and Richard McLarnan are running for the two open positions.

Grant B. Garverick, Dennis E. Long and Brian Owens are candidates for three positions on the Galion School Board. Brian T. Carson is running for an unexpired seat.

Two board positions with Lexington Schools are being sought by Justin Billotte Loren Blackstone, Eric Lehnhart, Rob Schuster, and Keith A. Stoner.

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By Randa Wagner

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