BUCYRUS—The Crawford County Board of Elections met on Thursday to certify election petitions that were filed last week for various positions throughout the county that will be on the ballot in May’s primary election.

Christina Surgener, who had filed a petition to run for third ward Bucyrus City Council member, withdrew her petition ahead of the meeting and will not be on the ballot. Terry Spiegel, who had also filed to run for third ward council member, had his petition rejected after he failed to complete the circulatory section on the backside of the petition application. The position is currently held by Independent Doug Foght who has not filed a petition for re-election.

Democratic candidate Beverly Payne, who had filed to run for re-election to her current position on the Crestline Village Council, did not fill in the number of signatures that were witnessed by the person circulating the petition, also had her petition rejected.

According to election law in Ohio, the only way for Spiegel and Payne to still end up on the November ballot for the general election is to file as write-in candidates by Aug. 23.

Ruth Leuthold, director of the Crawford County Board of Elections, said all other petitions for the primary election in May that were submitted were approved by the board. Those include:

Fankhauser filed his petition to run for re-election in November for his position as Bucyrus City Council President with no other Republican or Democrat filing a petition to run for the position.

Republican Bruce Truka has been a Bucyrus City Council member for the past two decades but did not file a petition to run for re-election for his current position as the first ward council member. Two newcomers, Brenton Potter and Tracey Price, did file their petitions to run in the primary election.

Petitions for candidates running as Independents in the November election are not due until May 3, the day before the primary election.

Independent Lisa Alsept, who currently holds the position of fourth ward council member in Bucyrus, did not yet file a petition to run for re-election. No Democrat or Republican candidate filed to run for that position and for council-at-large, only two incumbents filed petitions, including Republicans Mark Makeever and Kevin Myers. No one filed to run for the third council-at-large position in the primary as a Democrat or Republican.

Democrat Aaron Sharrock filed her petition to run for the position of second ward council member that she was appointed to last year after fellow Democrat Candy Yocum resigned.

Jane A. Cremeans has held the position of Bucyrus City Treasurer for many years but did not file a petition this time. Fellow Republican Angela Miller did file a petition for the position.

In Crestline, four council positions are up for re-election. Three Republican candidates filed petitions, including incumbent Joy Miley and newcomers Garrett Looney and Cheryl Downey. Incumbent Democrat Allen Laferty had his petition approved to run for re-election.

Independent candidates can pick up petitions currently to file by the May 3 deadline to run in the general election for any of these positions. Write-in candidates must file their declaration for candidacy by Feb. 22. For those not yet registered to vote, the deadline to register to be able to vote in the primary election on May 4 is April 5.

The board approved three issues that will be up for a vote in May:

POLK TOWNSHIP A renewal of a tax for the benefit of Polk Township for the purpose of fire protection and ambulance and emergency medical services at a rate not exceeding 5.4 mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to $0.54 for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for 5 years, commencing in 2021, first due in calendar year 2022.

WYNFORD LOCAL SCHOOL Shall a levy renewing an existing levy be imposed by the Wynford Local School District for the purpose of DISTRICT AVOIDING AN OPERATING DEFICIT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT in the sum of $350,000 and a levy of taxes to be made outside of the ten mill limitation estimated by the county auditor to average 1.66 mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to $0.166 for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for a period of 3 years, commencing in 2021, first due in calendar year 2022?

WYNFORD LOCAL SCHOOL A renewal of a tax for the benefit of the Wynford Local School District for the purpose of current operating DISTRICT expenses at a rate not exceeding 6.9 mills for each one dollar of valuation, which amounts to $0.69 for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for 3 years, commencing in 2021, first due in calendar year 2022.