Wednesday, November 8th, 2017

Voters pass Celina schools levy

By Tom Stankard
CELINA - Fifty-five percent of voters within the Celina School district on Tuesday approved raising the existing 0.75 percent income tax levy to 1 percent.
A total of 1,938 people voted for the levy, while 1,555 people, or 45 percent, voted against it.
The 1 percent income-tax increase will replace the existing 0.75 percent tax beginning in 2019 and will run for five years. The existing levy is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2018. It collects $2.65 million annually. The 0.25 percent increase will generate an additional $885,000 annually for the district.   
This levy will not affect residents' fixed-retirement income, district treasurer Tom Sommer has said. Residents earning $25,000 will pay an additional 17 cents per day.
Sommer expects state funding to remain flat for the next two or more years, he has said. As a result, the district could have had a negative fund balance of $410,882 by 2021 if the levy hadn't passed. With its passage, the district could have a positive fund balance of $1.1 million by 2021.
The last time new money was approved for the district was in 2003 when the current 0.75 income tax was initially approved, Sommer has said.
School board member Bill Sell said the board is "very pleased" with the outcome.
"The board will be responsible and frugal with the increase and make sure it is put to good use," he said. "Our goal is to make sure it makes kids prosper."
Superintendent Ken Schmiesing noted money collected from the levy will go into the general fund.
"We're certainly excited about voter turnout and that the handiwork from the committee paid off," he said.
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WAPAKONETA - Auglaize County voters elected Andrew Augsburger as the new municipal court judge with 68 percent of the vote.
Augsburger has served the past 20 years as Auglaize County assistant prosecutor. [More]
CELINA - Jefferson Township voters elected incumbent Nick Laux to continue as township trustee.
Laux received nearly 65 percent of the vote, winning 1,306 votes to challenger Joe Bey's 711. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Election Day in Mercer and Auglaize counties went smoothly on Tuesday with no problems reported, local board of elections officials said this morning
ST. MARYS - Two new faces will join the St. Marys City Schools Board of Education, according to Tuesday's unofficial election results.
Newcomers Ron Wilker and Chris Falk defeated incumbents Travis Kuenning and Bob Valentine. Board President Karl Dammeyer won re-election to the board.
NEW BREMEN - Newcomers Suzanne Wells and Michele Bambauer as well as incumbent Shelly Busse were the winners of three open seats for New Bremen Local Schools District Board of Education.
CELINA - City crews, with help from nearby communities, worked at a feverish pace on Tuesday to restore electricity to the remaining homes and businesses without power but came up just short due to high winds.
CELINA - Many businesses along Havemann Road remained closed on Tuesday without access to power or due to damage from Sunday's tornado.
Celina Alum
FORT RECOVERY - Chris Herren, a former NBA athlete who had played for the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics, spoke to children from various Mercer County schools about the struggle of dealing with drugs and alcohol, a subject he has dealt with personally.
Officials: Correct steps taken after local tornado
CELINA - The loss of electricity in Mercer County was handled very well as far as any possible health issues were concerned, according to health district director of environmental health Michelle Kimmel.
MINSTER - Council members on Tuesday decided to join a coalition of villages and cities to fight against the state's recently passed plan to collect local income taxes on behalf of municipalities.
CELINA - The Celina Merchant Association has scheduled Midnight Gladness for Dec. 1 beginning at 6 p.m.
In addition to special sales that will be o
MARIA STEIN - Voters in the Marion Local Schools District voted to renew a 10-mill property tax levy that will collect just over $1.2 million per year.
CELINA - Most local liquor options in Mercer County on Tuesday's ballot won approval by voters. according to unofficial election results.
Robert's
Mercer County voters also pass other levies
CELINA - Tri-County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services' 10-year renewal operating levy passed on Tuesday with overwhelming local support.
ROCKFORD - Voters in Parkway and 10 other school districts approved the renewal of a five-year, 0.8-mill operating levy for Vantage Career Center that will continue to generate about $935,443 annually.
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#  Name  Grade
122  Kaitlynn Albers  11
123  Ella Boate  9
124  Mackenzie Bohman  10
125  Cassie Francis  12
126  Madeline Magoto  11
127  Gwendolyn Meiring