By TODD HELBERG

cnedit@crescent-news.com

Defiance County voters will be asked to decide numerous local political races on Nov. 6 and participate in a wider one for a new congressman.

They'll also be faced with several local issues, depending upon where they live. And, all four will seek to increase tax revenues.

Only one of those will be decided by all county voters.

The Defiance County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities is seeking passage of an .85-mill, five-year replacement levy for programs and services. This will replace an .85-mill levy that was approved in 2002.

A replacement levy allows the taxing entity to collect taxes on new property values rather than the old values upon which the underlying levy is based. This generally results in more revenue.

For example, if approved, the MR/DD levy would collect $623,000 per year compared to the $500,000 the existing levy brings in, according to the county auditor's office. The owner of a $100,000 home would see his or her annual taxes for the levy go from $19.17 to $26.03.

Ayersville Local School District voters will be more focused on a 1 percent, five-year income tax request. The district is seeking new revenue for current expenses, and to maintain present programs.

If approved, the tax would generate $700,000-$900,000 annually, according to school officials, but it would not become fully collectable for 18 months.

The district's board of education has already outlined what services will be cut -- including all extracurriculars -- if the income tax fails.

School officials are hoping a third time is a charm, having seen the same levy fail in November 2006 and last May.

Two other replacement levies are in Defiance Township and Sherwood village -- both for fire and EMS protection.

Defiance Township's proposed two-mill, continuing levy and Sherwood's two-mill, five-year levy would replace similar levies approved in 2003 and 2002, respectively.

If approved, the Defiance Township levy would generate $74,000 annually compared to the $66,000 it collects today. Sherwood's would bring in $20,000 per year while its current levy generates $17,000 annually, according to the auditor's office.

In Defiance Township's case, the owner of a $100,000 home would see his or her annual taxes increase from $53.84 to $61.25, if the levy passes. In the same scenario for Sherwood, annual taxes would go from $51.45 to $61.25.

Voters also will have a variety of political races to decide, although not all are competitive.

Contested mayoral elections will be held in Ney and Defiance, where four candidates (Democratic incumbent Bob Armstrong, Republican Pete Lundberg, independent Rick Hoffman and independent Robert Miller) are on the ballot.

The only municipality with contested council races is Defiance where three of the city's four ward seats have two candidates each. But Sherwood voters won't have even a single candidate for the village's two open council seats.

And, several school board elections are on tap, but only one (Hicksville Exempted Village) is competitive. Three candidates have filed for that district's two seats.

In addition, voters will decide elections for one trustee and a fiscal officer in each of Defiance County's 12 townships.

Five of the 12 trustee positions have two or more candidates as do a pair of races for unexpired terms. But none of the 12 fiscal officer posts have more than one candidate.

Too, voters will help decide the Republican and Democratic primaries for the U.S. 5th Congressional District seat. The winners in each party will advance to a special election on Dec. 11 when the remaining year of Paul Gillmor's unexpired term will be at stake.

Finally, voters in some Defiance and Hicksville precincts (Hicksville precinct B, Defiance Ward 2-A ) will be asked to decide separate liquor and/or Sunday beer sales options.

The list of candidates and issues include:

5th District

congressman

(elect one, each party)

Steve Buehrer, R

Mark Hollenbaugh, R

Robert Latta, R

Fred Pieper, R

Mike Smitley, R

George Mays, D

Robin Weirauch, D

Boards of education

Boards of education

Educational Service Center

(elect one)

Ron Crawford, inc.

Ayersville Local

(elect three)

Robert Luderman Jr., inc.

Mark Diller, inc.

Dennis Martin

Central Local

(elect two)

Jeffrey Ankney

James Singer, inc.

Defiance City

(elect three)

Christine Oberlin, inc.

Serenus Brugler, inc.

Peggy Rolf, inc.

Hicksville Exempted

(elect two)

John McCalla

Dennis Stuckey, inc.

David Schooley, inc.

Northeastern Local

(elect two)

Ronald Cereghin Jr., inc.

Laura Flory

Municipal offices

Defiance

Ward I Council

Gary Butler, inc.

Dan Bohn

Ward II Council

Howard Tropepe, inc.

Larry Bryant

Ward III Council

Darrell Handy, inc.

Jim Schoch

Ward IV Council

Chris Engel, inc.

Mayor

Bob Armstrong, inc.

Peter Lundberg

Frederick Hoffman

Robert Miller

Hicksville

Council (elect two)

Mick Procratsky, inc.

Bruce Hart

Mayor

Larry Haver, inc.

Clerk-treasurer

Diane Collins, inc.

Ney

Council (elect two)

Ronald Walker, inc.

Nelson Bergman, inc.

Mayor

Tommy Vance

Gary McAdow, inc.

Clerk-treasurer

Jerry Bergman

Sherwood

Council (elect two)

no candidates filed

Mayor

Glen Vance, inc.

Townships

(elect one trustee, one fiscal officer)

Adams

Trustee

Tom Wiemken

Timothy Wiemken

Eldon Hesterman, inc.

Fiscal officer

William Aschmeier, inc.

Defiance

Trustee

Charles Bakle

Robert Layne, inc.

Diana Mayer

Fiscal officer

Tim Houck, inc.

Delaware

Trustee

Bennette Singer, inc.

Ronald Johns

Unexpired term

Jim Speiser, inc.

Fiscal officer

Michelle Speiser, inc.

Farmer

Trustee

Dan Vermilion

Steven Sprow, inc.

Fiscal officer

Jennifer Mavis, inc.

Hicksville

Trustee

Greg Collins, inc.

Fiscal officer

Kelly Wonderly, inc.

Highland

Trustee

Edward Zachrich, inc.

Fiscal officer

Thomas Wolfrum, inc.

Mark

Trustee

Larry Hartman

Wilbur Wright, inc.

Unexpired term

Vern Haase, inc.

Denver Zeedyk

Fiscal officer

Deb Atchley

Milford

Trustee

Wayne Betts, inc.

Brian Zeedyk

Fiscal officer

Colleen Cape, inc.

Noble

Trustee

Randy Ball, inc.

Unexpired term

Orville Clark

Joe Clemens

Fiscal officer

Barbara Varner, inc.

Richland

Trustee

Jim Kile, inc.

Fiscal officer

Dave Kunesh, inc.

Tiffin

Trustee

Tom Henry, inc.

Fiscal officer

Anne Rethmel, inc.

Washington

Trustee

Herb Retcher, inc.

Fiscal officer

Rich Cromwell, inc.

Tax, ballot issues

Ayersville Local Schools: a 1 percent, five-year income tax for current expenses

Defiance Township: a 2-mill, continuing replacement levy for fire and EMS protection

Sherwood village: a 2-mill, five-year replacement levy for fire and EMS protection

Defiance County: a .85-mill, five-year replacement levy for programs and services

Hicksville village, precinct B: a request by Slattery Oil Co. for permission to sell wine and mixed beverage at 506 E. High St.

Hicksville Village, precinct B: a Sunday beer sales option for Slattery Oil Co. at 506 E. High St.

Defiance city, Ward 2, precinct A: a Sunday beer sales option for the Eagles Club, 711 W. Second St.