BUCYRUS―The Crawford County Board of Elections met on Tuesday to certify petitions filed for the primary election in May and all petitions were approved except for one.
According to Deputy Director Kim Rudd, the petition filed by current Ward Four Bucyrus City Council member Andrew Schoch had a fatal error and could not be certified.
“He failed to put down which office he is running for,” said Rudd.
Rudd said other petitions had minor errors that are allowable under election laws but Schoch’s error was considered one that cannot be accepted.
“He put down that is running for city council but not the specific position he was filing a petition for and since all of the council seats are up for election, we were unable to determine which position the petition for candidacy was for,” Rudd said.
Schoch, who ran as a write-in for his fourth-ward position in the last election, said he has no comment at this time.
Petitions certified for the position of Bucyrus mayor include incumbent Jeff Reser, former Crawford County Commissioner Jenny Vermillion, Bucyrus realtor Louis Katona III and former long-time Bucyrus business owner Mike Allonas. Ronald O. Bores was the only Democrat to file a petition for the mayoral position and will run unopposed in the primary election.
For council president, Bucyrus business owner Kurt Fankhauser will be running against Terry Spiegel, supervisor of the water treatment, wastewater treatment and water distribution departments for the city. Current council president Garnet “Sis” Love is not seeking re-election.
For Bucyrus City Council Ward 2, newcomer and democratic candidate Candance M. Yokum is running for the position currently occupied by Republican Monica Sack. Sack did not file a petition to seek re-election.
Current at-large council members Mark Makeever and Kevin Myers had their petitions certified to seek re-election but a third seat is still open. Bruce Truka is the only candidate running in the primary for his current position as first-ward council member.
Current city law director Rob Ratliff and city auditor Joyce Schifer will be on the ballot unopposed in the primary and there are no Democratic candidates running in the primary.
Linda Horning Pitt will be on the ballot in May for Crestline voters as her petition for the Republican candidacy was approved along with Kevin Eckert’s petition for council member of the village.
Candidates running for positions as an Independent must file their petitions before the primary election on May 7.
The City of Bucyrus filed a petition that has been certified to appear on the ballot for a .5 percent income tax levy for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of public streets, thoroughfares and alleys, curbs, gutters, catch basins and wheelchair ramps within the City of Bucyrus.
Voters throughout the county will decide if a .5 percent sales and use tax levy for the support of criminal and administrative justice services, including the administration and maintenance of the Crawford County Justice Center (jail), will be approved.
The deadline to register to vote in the May 7, 2019, Primary/Special Election is Monday, April 8, 2019.
For more information, visit the website of the Crawford County Board of Elections at https://sites.google.com/site/crawfordboe or call 419-562-8721.