Mount Vernon News

MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Board of Elections will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 6, which is the final day for voter registration, according to BOE Director Rita Yarman.

“We have to keep those hours for the last day of voter registration,” said Yarman, as the extended hours are required by law.

Voter registration forms are also available at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Apple Valley Property Owners Association and public libraries throughout the county. All forms must be dated Oct. 6 or earlier for the registration to be valid.

The final day to request an absentee ballot from the BOE is Saturday, Nov. 1; requests can be made in person or by phone. On Nov. 1, the BOE office will be open from 9 a.m. to noon.

Although the candidates and issues are not yet finalized for the national and statewide ballots, all local candidates on the Knox County ballot have been finalized. The majority of the races are uncontested. County Engineer Jim Henry, County Prosecutor John Thatcher, Knox County Sheriff David Barber, County Treasurer Sandra Mizer, Clerk of Courts Mary Jo Hawkins and Probate Juvenile Judge James Ronk are all running unopposed. After winning the primary for the position of county coroner, Jennifer Ogle now joins the list of candidates running unopposed.

Contested local positions include the seat for state representative in Ohio’s 90th District. In this contest, Democrat Duane Grassbaugh and Republican Margaret Ann Ruhl are running against each other. Two of the county commissioner positions will be up for grabs in November, with Democrat John Booth and Republican Teresa Bemiller campaigning for one seat. Democrat Serita Harris will challenge incumbent Republican Allen Stockberger for the other county commissioner seat.

The other contested local race is for the position of recorder. In this race, incumbent Republican John Lybarger will face a challenge from Democrat Lea Gallogy.

In addition to several state issues that will be on the Nov. 4 ballot, 22 local issues will be up to voters this fall. Knox County Children Services has a tax levy renewal on the ballot in the amount of 1.3 mills for 10 years. The Knox County Park District has an additional levy on the ballot for 0.35 mill for five years. The Fredericktown School District has a continuing tax levy in the amount of 4.96 mills on the ballot.

The city of Mount Vernon has an ordinance placed on the ballot to aggregate retail natural gas in the city; the village of Fredericktown is also asking voters to aggregate natural gas.

The village of Gann has a level renewal on the ballot for 1 mill for five years. The village of Danville is asking voters whether or not to increase the municipal income tax 0.5 percent to cover the expenses of the village police department.

The Central Ohio Joint Fire District has a replacement levy on the ballot for 5.5 mills for three years and the Fredericktown Community Fire District has a renewal levy in the amount of 1 mill over five years on the ballot. In addition, the Fredericktown Community Joint Emergency and Ambulance District has a levy renewal on the ballot for 0.6 mill over five years.

A special issue will be on the Nov. 4 ballot asking voters to decide whether Chapel Hill Golf Course can sell alcohol on Sundays between 1 p.m. and midnight.

In addition, 11 of the 22 townships in Knox County will have tax levies on the ballot this November.

Butler Township is asking residents to approve an additional 3-mill levy for three years. Hilliar Township has a 0.5-mill, five-year renewal levy to maintain cemeteries on the ballot.

Howard Township has an additional 1-mill, three-year levy on the ballot; Milford Township has a 3-mill, an additional five-year levy to maintain roads, streets and bridges.

Middlebury Township is asking voters to approve a proposition to construct a new township house at a cost of $73,800 and Monroe Township has a replacement levy on the ballot in the amount of 1 mill over five years.

Morgan Township has a renewal levy on the ballot for 1.75 mills for three years to provide ambulance and emergency medical services, and Morris Township is asking voters to consider a renewal levy of 4 mills over three years to fund fire and ambulance services.

Pike Township has a 0.5-mill, five-year renewal levy on the ballot to maintain cemeteries, and Union Township has two levies on the ballot, both in the amount of 0.5 mill over five years. One of the Union Township levies is for street, road and bridge maintenance; the other levy is for the maintenance of cemeteries.

According Yarman, a renewal levy is for the exact same amount of money that was previously collected, while a replacement levy collects the same millage but takes updated property values into effect. An additional levy is a new tax.