Most local issues pass in Ottawa County
11/8/2006PORT CLINTON A heavier-than-anticipated voter turnout in Ottawa County delayed results from yesterday s election until about 2:30 a..m. today.
Director JoAnn Friar said the county s board of elections printed enough ballots for at least a 60 percent turnout, but that wasn t enough for some precincts in Allen, Clay, Harris, and Salem townships; Genoa; Port Clinton, and Clay Center.
The elections board was forced to print an extra 800 ballots to cover the 62 percent voter turnout across the county, Ms. Friar said.
Any voter who was in line before the polls closed at 7:30 p.m. was permitted to vote, but some weren t able to do so until nearly 9 p.m. when more ballots became available.
Some polling locations that ran out of ballots had contentious issues for voters to decide.
In Clay Center, voters were casting ballots on a referendum to change the zoning on nearly 94 acres owned by White Rock Quarry LP from a residential district to a manufacturing district so the quarry could expand.
Village council approved the rezoning in early 2003, but enough residents signed a petition challenging the ordinance for it to appear on the ballot.
But it appears the zoning change will stand, with voters passing the issue by a nearly 3-to-1 margin.
Elsewhere in the county, for just the fourth time in its history, Port Clinton City Council was asking voters to approve a new funding request.
The 5-year, 1.9-mill additional tax levy voters passed yesterday is slated to pay for fire equipment and firefighters or emergency medical services through the department, among other expenses.
Read more in later editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com.