Local candidates, tax levies certified for March 19 primary ballot

The Highland County Board of Elections met Tuesday, Jan. 2 to certify candidate petitions and questions/issues for the March 19 primary election, with voters set to consider one countywide contested race and one countywide levy.

As previously reported, two Republican candidates have filed to run for Highland County sheriff in Randy Sanders and Brandon Stratton, as both have been campaigning since before the Nov. 7 general election.

Also set to be considered throughout the county is a replacement tax levy for the Highland County Children Services agency.

County commissioners approved a resolution for the levy at their Dec. 13 meeting, after a proposed five-year, one-mill replacement levy for the agency failed in the Nov. 7 general election.

The proposed levy for the March 19 primary ballot is a 0.9-mill, five-year levy, commencing in 2024. The agency’s previous tax levy, which was first approved in November 2013 and renewed by voters in November 2018, was also a five-year, .9-mill levy for Children Services placement costs and expired Dec. 31, 2023.

There are three other levies certified to appear on the ballot for voters in select precincts. Those include:

• A five-mill, five-year current expenses levy for the Village of Mowrystown, commencing 2025;

• A 0.5-mill, five-year renewal tax levy for cemetery maintenance and operations in Clay Township, commencing 2024; and

• A 3.95-mill, five-year additional/new tax levy for police department operations in the Village of Leesburg, commencing 2025.

In other county races, incumbents are seeking reelection for all of their respective offices, with no opposition, including:

• County Commissioners Terry Britton (term commencing Jan. 3) and David Daniels (term commencing Jan. 2);

• Prosecutor Anneka Collins;

• Clerk of Common Pleas Court Dwight “Ike” Hodson;

• Recorder Chad McConnaughey;

• Engineer Chris Fauber;

• Coroner Jeff Beery; and

• Treasurer Vickie Warnock.

Democratic candidate Ellen Yvette Clark has filed to oppose Republican incumbent Bob Peterson in the race for State Representative for the 91st Ohio House District. 

Also up for election are Republican County Central Committee seats. Those running include the following candidates (changes based on the committee members listed by the Board of Elections site are noted):

• Greenfield North, Phyllis Matlack;

• Greenfield South, Dean Waddell;

• Hillsboro Northeast, Tracy Aranyos;

• Hillsboro Northwest, Charles Walker;

• Hillsboro Southeast, Roger Huffman;

• Hillsboro Southwest A, Jan Vosper;

• Hillsboro Southwest B, Richard Donley;

• Leesburg, Shawn Priest;

• Fairfield East, Mel McKenzie;

• Fairfield West, Ken Davis;

• Lynchburg, Chris Toller (Terry Burden current member);

• Dodson, Richard Warner Jr. (Bill Fawley current member);

• Whiteoak, Linda Roush;

• Brushcreek, Jeff Ryan;

• Concord, Chuck Emery;

• Jackson, Philip Weyrich;

• Liberty Northwest, Montey Scott;

• Liberty South, Terry Britton;

• Marshall, John Abell (Thomas Shawhan current member); 

• New Market, Joanna Mahan (Donnie Barrera current member);

• Paint North, Steven Karnes;

• Paint Southwest, Roger Ruggles;

• Penn, Tina Hughes (Jeff Duncan current member);

• Salem, Karen Faust;

• Union, Angela Smith (Peggy Hite current member); and

• Washington, John Setty.

No candidates filed for Clay, Hamer, Liberty Northeast, Madison or Paint Southeast, according to the Board of Elections.

Although these petitions are not certified by the Highland County Board of Elections, voters can also expect to see the following races on the ballot in March: U.S. President; U.S. Senate; U.S. Congress; Ohio Supreme Court; Fourth District Court of Appeals; Republican State Central Committee; and 10th District member of the State Board of Education.