Staff report
news@wbcowqel.com
It will be a battle of the mayoral position for two councils when election time rolls around this November.
Current Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser (Republican), who was appointed to the position in June 2014 after the death of Roger Moore, will be running against former Bucyrus mayor Dan Ross (Democrat) and non-party candidates Louis Katona III and Joshua D. Weiler.
There are three at-large seats up for grabs on Bucyrus City Council and four people running. Incumbent Wanda Sharrock (Democrat) is running against fellow Democrat and former council member Dan Wirebaugh, Republican Mark A. Makeever, and Cory M. Tyrrell, a non-party candidate.
Bruce Truka (1st Ward, Republican), Monica Sack (2nd Ward, Republican), and Bill O’Rourke (3rd Ward, Independent) are running unopposed for their respective council seats. Also running unopposed are Council President Sis Love, Law Director Rob Ratliff, and Auditor Joyce Schifer.
In Galion, current Council President Carl Watt is running unopposed for that seat while Shirley Clark, Gail Baldinger, Thomas Fellner, Judith Gibson, and Paula Durbin will run against each other for three open at-large positions. Durbin currently serves as Galion’s city treasurer. William Comerford and Rodney Sparks will be running for the soon-to-be-open treasurer seat.
Third Ward incumbent Michael Richart will be facing off against Jim Hedges.
Sarah Capretta (1st Ward), Mark Triplett (2nd Ward), and Susan Bean (4th Ward) will be running unopposed in their respective districts.
Current Crestline Mayor David Sharrock will not be seeking reelection this November and four people are already vying for the spot: current Crestline Village Council member Eugene Toy, Gerald Joe Dowell, John Mills, and Gloria McDonald.
Allen Moore and Tina Swartz, who were both appointed to their positions this year after previous council members left, will be running for their seats unopposed.
Municipal Court Judge Shane Leuthold will be running unopposed for that same position. Leuthold was appointed as Municipal Court judge in January by Ohio Governor John Kasich after his brother, Sean Leuthold, beat out Robert Neff Jr. for the Common Pleas Court judge and left the Municipal seat open.
Below is a list of petitions filed for township trustee offices in Crawford County:
Auburn Township Trustee: Carl Rader and Tim Marcum
Clerk: Jeanette Brown
Bucyrus Township Trustee: Craig A. Miller
Clerk: Sarah K. Shifley
Chatfield Township Trustee: Terry Leonhart
Clerk: Amy Hanes
Cranberry Township Trustee: Tom Sheibley
Clerk: Sharon Sheibley
Dallas Township Trustee: Milton D. Underwood
Clerk: Crystal Leitzy
Holmes Township Trustee: Regis W. Jones (unexpired term) and Todd D. Stahl
Clerk: Eunice A. Collene
Jackson Township Trustee: Denis Kempf and Aaron D. Paynter
Clerk: Kathleen Paynter and Denise Jeffrey
Jefferson Township Trustee: Kevin J. Walker and Lindall E. Rachell
Clerk: Kathryn Weber
Liberty Township Trustee: Dave Brause
Clerk: Ruth Crabaugh
Lykens Township Trustee: Jacob Schimpf
Clerk: F. Rose Hartschuh
Polk Township Trustee: Glenn E. Cheesman
Clerk: Patricia L. Rondon
Sandusky Township Trustee: Mark Cleland
Clerk: Tracy L. Cleland
Texas Township Trustee: Robert Brause
Clerk: Janel Brause
Tod Township Trustee: Kenneth C. Aidt
Clerk: Linda King
Vernon Township Trustee: Martha J. Keller (for Russell M. Keller) and Robert W. Finney
Clerk: Robin L. Hipsher and Jennifer L. Price
Whetstone Township Trustee: Clay Ehmann and Penny Jones (for Steve Jones)
Clerk: Cheryl Wagner and Mary L. Ehmann
All six county schools will also have candidates on the ballot for their respective school boards. Those candidates are:
Buckeye Central: Missy McDougal, Michael W. Dean, and Jerome H. Heydinger
Bucyrus: Paul Johnson, Douglas A. Schiefer, Adam Stone, and Traci L. Wetterau
Colonel Crawford: Daniel R. Bute and Norman C. Huber
Crestline: Jeff Wilhite and Tom Clutter
Galion: Dennis Long, Grant B. Garverick, Brian Owens, and Brian T. Carson
Wynford: Rhonda K. Rowland
There were also a number of issues filed but those will not be certified until Aug. 12.
There will only be one county-wide issue on the ballot, a one mill, five-year renewal tax levy for the Marion-Crawford Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMH). The levy would go toward operating expenses.
A .85 mills, five year property tax levy for Crawford County Public Health will also be on the levy but would not include voters within the city of Galion, which has its own health district. The property tax levy was heavily debated by the District Advisory Council this spring. Members of the Council, which is comprised of township trustees, county commissioners, and mayors from Bucyrus, Chatfield, Crestline, New Washington, North Robinson, and Tiro, voted 11-3 to put the issue on the November ballot.
On the ballot for Galion citizens will be a much debated initiative petition that, if passed by voters, would require Galion to have its electricity fund audited for the period between July 1, 2005 and Dec. 31, 2012 and possible refunds issued to its customers.
Galion City Schools will be seeking a 7.73 mill, five-year renewal levy while the village of Chatfield placed an additional five-mill, five-year tax levy on the ballot.
Voters in four townships will be asked to consider issues outside of Crawford County. In Auburn Township, voters will see a .975 mill, five-year renewal Huron County Community Library levy while Dallas Township voters will consider an additional two mill, five-year tax levy for the Ridgedale Local School District. Voters in Lykens and Tod townships will get a chance to consider renewing a 2.5 mill tax levy for the Wyandot East Fire District. Voters who live in Crawford County but reside within the Upper Sandusky School District will be able to vote on a new 2 mill tax levy.
Candidates and issues were required to be filed by Aug. 5 with the Crawford County Board of Elections in order for them to be placed on the Nov. 3 General Election. Deadline for voter registration for the General Election is Oct. 5.