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.