By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Crawford County voters lit up the polls in approval of the numerous fire and EMS levies throughout the county during Election Day.
With all 37 precincts in the county reporting, all of the township emergency services levies passed by a substantial margin with the closest contested race coming from Dallas Township with the renewal 2.5 mil fire protection levy passing there 169 (64.5 percent) votes for the levy to 93 (35.5 percent) votes against the levy.
Vernon Township’s renewal of the .75 mil current exposes levy passed with 293 (70.26 percent) votes for the levy and 124 (29.74 percent) votes against it.
Local liquor options passed in the county as well with the Bucyrus 4B Local Liquor Option (Ehrhart’s,) the Crestline 2A Local Liquor Option (Kork & Kap,) and both Galion Local Liquor Options (EL Tarasco Mexican Restaurant and Marathon) picking up the popular vote.
County Prosecuting Attorney Mathew Crall, Clerk of Court Sheila Lester, County Sheriff Scott Kent, County Engineer Mark Baker, and County Coroner Chris Johnson won their re-election bids uncontested. Another uncontested bid for election went to County Treasurer Cynthia Edwards, who will replace the retiring Gary Cole.
Local school districts that were up for levy votes weren’t so lucky in Crawford County with the lone school district winning its levy election in the county being the Plymouth-Shiloh Local School District winning in Crawford County by one vote, 13-12. That levy’s fate will depend on the outcome of votes in Huron and Richland counties.
Both Ridgedale and Tri-Rivers JVS levies failed at the polls in this county. But the Ridgedale levy appeared to pass overall with approval in Marion County. Marion County voters also rejected the Tri-Rivers levy.
The Ottowa County Prosecuting Attorney Race was taken by Buckeye Central alumnus James VanEerten who picked up the victory over Mark Mulligan. VanEerten, who ran on the Republican ticket, picked up 11,682 votes to Mulligan’s 9,564 votes.
RELATED CONTENT: Crawford County Election Results – General Election 2016