|
[ PREVIOUS
STORIES ]
| 08-22-03: Several issues facing Mercer County voters |
By TIMOTHY COX
tcox@dailystandard.com
A number of issues will dot the Nov. 4 election ballot across Mercer
County.
Nowhere will the ballot be more crowded than in Franklin Township,
where voters will help decide a single countywide issue, rule on two local zoning issues
and determine the fate of a renewal fire levy.
The countywide issue is a renewal proposal for a 0.55-mill property tax
levy to support services provided by the Mercer County Council on Aging. The levy would
run for five years if approved.
Franklin Township voters also will see two different zoning issues that
made their way onto the ballot through public referendum efforts. A five-year, 1-mill fire
protection levy also will be decided.
A number of other local issues will appear on local ballots along with
the names of scores of candidates in school board, village council, mayoral and township
trustee races.
In Celina, voters will be asked to decide whether they want to approve
an ordinance passed in support of the city's downtown and lakefront revitalization
efforts. It remains unclear how passage or failure of the measure would affect the city's
long-term development plans. A change in the city administration also could affect those
plans.
Celina voters also will decide if they want city officials to pursue a
natural gas aggregation contract. If voters give the go-ahead, the city would negotiate
natural gas contracts with alternative fuel suppliers to try to bring lower, more stable
prices to residents, who can choose to opt-out of the city plan if they want to.
Aggregation issues were approved in May in St. Marys and Minster.
A 1.6-mill fire protection levy will be decided for Jefferson Township
while the Southwest Mercer County Fire Department seeks a 1-mill levy. Both levies are for
five-year time periods.
Voters in the village of Coldwater will vote on four amendments to the
village charter in addition to regular races.
School levies are on the ballot for voters in the Marion Local and St.
Henry school districts. St. Henry's five-year renewal request would collect 9.75 mills to
meet current operating expenses. Marion Local's renewal effort seeks 12.22 mills and also
would cover five years.
Issues in Auglaize County communities were not available from the Auglaize County
Elections Board office by presstime today. |
|
SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY STANDARD
|
Phone:
(419)586-2371, Fax: (419)586-6271
All content copyright 2003
The Standard Printing
Company
P.O. Box 140, Celina, OH
45822 |
|
|
