The May 6 ballot in Licking County will be mostly issues. With only two contested races – both of them Republican and only one countywide – there will be no Democratic primary in the county.
But the ballot will include many issues on which Democrats can vote if they request an “issues only” ballot when early voting begins on April 8 for the May 6 primary election. Republicans will see the same issues on their ballot. Those issues include a statewide issue and a countywide issue, according to the Licking County Board of Elections, which certified candidates and issues for the ballot during a meeting in Newark on Monday, Feb. 10.
Licking County voters will see a statewide Issue 1, which would renew a capital improvements program by allowing the state to sell $2.5 billion in bonds to fund public infrastructure improvements. The money would be offered to villages, townships, cities, counties, and water and sewer districts through grants and interest-free loans to cover up to 50% of new or expansion projects and up to 90% of repair or replacement work.
Voters across Licking County also will be asked to approve a 10-year, 1-mill replacement levy to support Children Services.
The contested races among Republicans are for Licking County Municipal Court clerk and for the third ward city council seat in Newark.
Longtime court clerk Marcia Phelps, a Democrat who has held elected offices in Newark and Licking County for four decades, is retiring. James M. Dawson, of Granville, is the only Democrat running for the position, so his name will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot with the winner of the Republican primary.
The Republican candidates are Gary Burkholder of Pataskala, who is an Etna Township trustee, and Carrie Masterson of Newark. Burkholder’s website says he runs his own business, and had been a Pickerington city council member. He said that he served in numerous public service positions as a researcher for the State of Ohio, “a probation officer, city manager, community development director, village administrator, and as a trustee on the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District (now Licking Regional Water District) from 2011 to 2014.”
The Licking County Conservatives posted a news release on Facebook saying that Masterson “served as court reporter for Judge (Thomas) Marcelain in Licking County Municipal Court and for Judge Gregory Frost in Licking County Common Pleas Court, as well as bailiff for Judge Marcelain.”
In Newark, third ward Republican incumbent Jeff Rath is being challenged by Republican Molly Ingold, who is the former executive director and board president of the United Way of Licking County and who has worked in administrative positions for Hospice of Central Ohio, Licking Memorial Hospital and the City of Newark. The winner of that primary race will face Democrat Marci Fones in November.
One person whose name will not appear on the ballot is that of Zachery Culver, whose petitions to run for the Newark City Council Ward 7 seat were invalidated by a unanimous vote of the three elections board members in attendance at the Feb. 10 meeting.
Republican board member David Rhodes and Democrats Freddie Latella and Kaye Hartman voted to invalidate Culver’s petitions because they said only that he was running for city council and did not include that he was running for Ward 7 when he circulated the petitions. Republican board member Park Shai was absent from the meeting.
Elections Director Brian Mead said that Culver had 27 valid signatures – two more than required – and all of the valid signatures were from Ward 7, but that Culver added the words “seventh ward” to his petitions at the elections board office as he was submitting them.
Mead told board members that it would be within their purview to accept Culver’s petitions and place him on the ballot, but they all agreed that such a move would be inconsistent with past board decisions to invalidate petitions that lacked such information when they were being circulated.
The last day to register to vote in the May 6 primary is April 7, and early voting begins on April 8 at the board of elections office, 20 S. 2nd Street, Newark. The next elections board meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. on March 3.
Only the Republican candidates for clerk of courts and Newark Ward 3 will appear on the primary ballot. All other candidates will move forward to the November election, when many more candidates will also appear on the ballot for other municipal races, school boards and township trustees. Here are all of the candidates and issues that were certified for election in Licking County:
Candidates:
Licking County Municipal Court judge
Michael R. Dalsanto (D)
Matthew George (R) (incumbent)
Licking County Municipal Court clerk
Gary Burkholder (R)
Carrie Masterson (R)
James M. Dawson (D)
Heath mayor (mayoral and council races are nonpartisan)
Mark D. Johns (incumbent)
Kelly Spires
Heath City Council Ward 1
Adam Porter (incumbent)
Heath City Council Ward 2
Shawn M. Gallant (incumbent)
Heath City Council Ward 3
Paul Moretti (incumbent)
Newark treasurer
Brad Feightner Jr. (R) (incumbent)
Newark City Council Ward 1
Michael Houser (R) (incumbent)
Newark City Council Ward 2
Beth Bline (R) (incumbent)
Daniel Crawford (D)
Newark City Council Ward 3
Marci Fones (D)
Molly Ingold (R)
Jeff Rath (R) (incumbent)
Newark City Council Ward 4
Mark Labutis (R) (incumbent)
William Mooney (D)
Newark City Council Ward 5
Spencer Barker (R) (incumbent)
Newark City Council Ward 6
Doug Marmie (R) (incumbent)
Newark City Council Ward 7
Travis Bralley (R)
Michelle Newman (D)
Issues:
State Issue 1
A proposed constitutional amendment proposed by the legislature to allow the state to sell bonds to fund capital improvement projects.
Licking County Children Services
A 1-mill, 10-year replacement property tax levy to fund the agency’s programs. The levy would raise a little over $8 million annually and cost a property owner $35 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Licking County
Electricity cost aggregation for unincorporated areas in the following townships: Bennington, Burlington, Hanover, Hartford, Jersey, Liberty, Madison, Mary Ann, Monroe, Newark, Newton and St. Albans
Natural gas cost aggregation for unincorporated areas in the following townships: Bennington, Burlington, Hanover, Hartford, Jersey, Liberty, Madison, Mary Ann, Monroe, Newark, Newton and St. Albans
County Line Joint Fire District (overlaps into Knox County)
An additional 4.5-mill, 5-year property tax for fire and emergency medical services. The levy would raise $760,000 annually and cost a property owner $158 per $100,000 of property valuation.
West Licking Joint Fire District
A 3-mill continuing property tax levy for fire and emergency medical services. The levy would raise $7.36 million annually and cost a property owner $105 per $100,000 of property valuation.
City of Heath
A 1-mil, 5-year renewal property tax levy for fire and emergency medical services. The levy would raise $307,000 annually and cost a property owner $20 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Village of Alexandria
Increase by 0.5% the income tax to 1.5% for village operations, including police services and street improvements.
Village of Buckeye Lake (overlaps into Fairfield County)
An additional 4-mill, 3-year property tax levy for police services. The levy would raise $524,000 annually and cost a property owner $140 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Village of Hanover
A 3-mill, 5-year property tax replacement levy for streets and walkways. The levy would raise $138,000 annually and cost a property owner $105 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Hanover Township
An additional 0.5-mill, 5-year levy for maintaining and operating cemeteries. The levy would raise $66,000 annually and cost a property owner $18 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Hopewell Township
A 2-mill, 5-year property tax renewal for repair and maintenance of streets, roads and bridges. The levy would raise $57,000 annually and cost a property owner $36 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Madison Township
A 2.3-mill, 5-year property tax renewal for fire and emergency medical services. The levy would raise $160,000 annually and cost a property owner $42 per $100,000 of property valuation.
A 4-mill, 5-year property tax renewal for fire and emergency medical services.The levy would raise $344,000 annually and cost a property owner $92 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Monroe Township (unincorporated area only)
Seeking approval of a zoning plan amendment proposed by referendum. If approved, the zoning for about 14 acres on the northwest side of Rt. 62 and southwest of Duncan Plains Road at 12416 Johnstown-Utica Road would change from R-1 for residential housing to M-1 for light manufacturing.
Newark Township
An additional 1.5, 5-year property tax levy for repair and maintenance of streets, roads and bridges. The levy would raise $167,000 annually and cost a property owner $53 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Perry Township
A 3-mill, 5-year property tax replacement for fire and emergency medical services. The levy would raise $177,000 annually and cost a property owner $105 per $100,000 of property valuation.
St. Albans Township
Renewal of a 3-mill, 5-year property tax with an additional 7 mills for fire and emergency medical services. The levy would raise $1.31 million annually and cost a property owner $318 per $100,000 of property valuation.
North Fork Local School District (Overlaps into Knox County)
Renewal of a 1% income tax on the earned income of individuals residing in the school district for current operating expenses for 3 years.
Southwest Licking School District (overlaps into Fairfield County)
A 4.2-mill bond issue for 35 years for the purpose of building school facilities. The levy would raise $115 million and cost a property owner $147 annually per $100,000 of property valuation.
River View Local School District (overlap from Coshocton County)
A 1.8-mill, 5-year property tax renewal for permanent improvements.
Granville Recreation District (follows Granville Exempted Village Schools boundaries)
Renewal of a 0.75-mill, 5-year property tax levy for parks and recreation. The levy would raise $428,000 annually and cost a property owner $18 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Liquor options:
Licking Township, Sunday sales of wine, mixed beverages, and liquor at Trece Tequilas, 9510 Jacksontown Road SE, south of Jacksontown.
McKean Township, Sunday sales of wine, mixed beverages, and liquor at Three Oaks Vineyard, 1591 Crosley Road, east of Fredonia.
Alan Miller writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.