Editor's Note:
The story was updated Wednesday morning to reflect comments from Perrysville Mayor Steve Goines.
ASHLAND — Final unofficial results show a fraction of registered voters in Ashland County turned out for the May primary.
Ashland County Board of Elections (BOE) unofficial numbers show 5,033 — 14.4% — voters cast ballots across the county.
A chunk of those came in the form of early voting. Ashland County BOE data show 22% of the votes came in the form of early voting.
Voters approved a statewide constitutional amendment that will lead to billions earmarked for infrastructure projects for the next decade.
Locally, there was an additional tax levy that failed. One of two renewal levies were approved. And a school’s effort to fund a new multi-million dollar building failed for the second time.
Here’s how voters cast their votes.
Issue 2
Final unofficial tallies show Ohioans passed Issue 2, which allows the state to issue general obligation bonds up to $250 million annually — or $2.5 billion over 10 years.
Read more here.
Perrysville Village
Voters in Perrysville rejected a 5-mill additional tax levy, which would have paid for roads and bridges over the next five years.
The levy failed by a 30.76% margin, according to final unofficial results from the Ashland County Board of Elections.
Steve Goines, the village’s mayor, said Wednesday the levy would have generated about $60,000 annually. The money would be put into a separate fund strictly to be used for street repair.
The village has a few options moving forward, Goines said. The mayor said the village could try to place the levy back on the ballot in the future or implement a municipal income tax.
He said an income tax of 0.25% would raise around $45,000 each year and a rate of 0.50% would raise around $90,000 annually.
“As the mayor, I would rather see that happen,” he said of an income tax. He said the income tax would mean everyone in the community would pay into the fund, including renters and others who live within Perrysville who don’t own property. (The street levy would generate revenue through a property tax.)
Goines said the village council will discuss the matter in the coming weeks and months.
Hillsdale Local School District
Voters who live within the Hillsdale Local Schools district, which include people in Ashland and Wayne counties, approved a 20.1-mill renewal tax levy after its failure in November.
The approval passed with a 35.94% margin, according to final unofficial results from the Ashland County Board of Elections.
Final unofficial results in Wayne County were not available by 10 p.m. on Tuesday.
District leadership has said the renewal comes at no additional cost to taxpayers.
The money generated — $8.7 million in public utilities revenue — will pay for things like staffing, student supplies and the district’s ability to keep on the lights.
Read more here.
Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village School District
Voters in the Loudonville-Perrysville school district rejected an effort to finance a new pre-K-12 building. The levy failed in Ashland County by a 14.28% margin out of 2,053 votes.
The district also includes voters who live in Richland and Knox counties. Voters there also rejected the effort, according to final unofficial results from those boards of elections.
The rejection comes after the 6.62-mill bond issue and 0.25% income tax levy failed in November.
Approvals would have helped the district pay a portion of the new building, which officials have said will cost $69.2 million. The bond issue and tax levy would have generated $41 million.
The income tax would have been in place for a period of 23 years, costing taxpayers $125 per $50,000 of income annually. A property tax, which would have paid for the bond issue, would have cost taxpayers $231.70 per $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised market value annually.
Read more here.
Lucas Local School District
Voters who live within Lucas Local School District — both in Ashland and Richland counties — approved of a 6-mill renewal tax levy.
In Ashland County, 14 people voted for the renewal levy. Ten of them approved, according to final unofficial results from the Ashland County board of elections.
The renewal tax levy also passed in Richland County, where voters narrowly approved it. The margin was 3.54% out of 396 votes.
Officials from the school district have said the renewal will help the district avoid an operating deficit, and would remain in place for a period of five years.