May 8 ballots to be loaded with tax pleas

With a deficit looming, Anthony Wayne Schools will ask voters to approve a 4.5-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy in May.

Dozens of tax requests from schools, townships, ambulance districts, mental retardation boards, a library, and a mental health services board were filed with elections boards in northwest Ohio by yesterday's deadline for the May 8 ballot.

Among them were several issues that leaders say they're placing on the ballot to avoid deficits, including requests from Anthony Wayne and Otsego schools.

Numerous candidates for mayor, city and village council, and other municipal positions filed by yesterday's deadline as well, although many will not appear on the ballot until November because there are not enough competitors to trigger a primary election.

Here are the highlights of the issues, questions, and contested candidate races that are likely to be on the May ballot locally, although most have yet to be certified by area elections boards. Their deadline to do so is Thursday.

LUCAS COUNTY

Anthony Wayne Schools: Additional 4.5-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy to avoid a deficit. The district extends into Fulton and Wood counties.

DEFIANCE COUNTY

Defiance Public Library: Additional 0.75-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Ayersville Schools: 1 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

Central Local Schools: Renewal 6.63-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy. The district extends into Williams County.

Defiance Schools: Renewal 6.48-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy. The district extends into Paulding County.

Defiance mayor: Peter R. Lundberg and Ellen Upp, Republicans, and Bob Armstrong, Democratic incumbent.

Defiance: Question of allowing Sunday beer sales between 1 p.m. and midnight at Mike's convenience store, 1746 South Clinton St.

Washington Township: Renewal 1.5-mill, 5-year fire levy.

ERIE COUNTY

Margaretta Schools: Renewal 1.5-mill, 5-year permanent improvements levy, and a 1 percent, 5-year income tax for current expenses. The district extends into Sandusky County.

Margaretta Township: Replacement and increase to constitute a 2-mill, five-year tax levy for fire protection and emergency medical services.

Sandusky Schools: Additional 5.4-mill continuing levy for current expenses.

Vermilion Municipal Court judge: Susan Ryan Brown and Zack Dolyk, both Democrats.

FULTON COUNTY

Fulton County Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities: Renewal 2-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Amboy Township: Renewal 1-mill, 5-year fire levy.

Chesterfield Township: Replacement 0.7-mill, 5-year fire and emergency medical services levy.

Clinton Township: Renewal 0.4-mill, 5-year cemetery levy.

Delta: Replacement of two fire levies, both of which are 0.5-mill, 5-year.

German Township: Replacement 0.5-mill, 5-year fire levy.

Gorham Fayette School: Renewal 7-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Lyons: Replacement 4.1-mill, 5-year operating levy and replacement 0.5-mill, 5-year parks and recreation levy.

Swanton schools: Renewal 3.99-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy.

HANCOCK COUNTY

Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services: Replacement 1-mill and additional 0.3 mill, 5-year operating levy.

Appleseed Joint Ambulance District: Replacement 0.6-mill, 5-year emergency medical services levy.

Cory-Rawson Schools: 7.8-mill, 28-year bond issue for school construction.

Findlay Schools: Replacement 4.9-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Findlay Mayor: Anthony P. Iriti, incumbent, and Peter M. Sehnert, both Republicans, and Thomas M. Knopf, Democrat.

Findlay Council-at-large: three seats: Andy Peters, James P. Slough, and Randy C. Ward, all Republican incumbents. John T. Urbanski, Republican, and Mario J. Bower, Democrat.

Findlay Council president: H. Richard Rowe, Jr., and Robert E. Schuck, incumbent. Both are Republicans.

Findlay Fifth Ward councilman: Michael Eier, Democratic incumbent, and David Rader and Debra E. Seng, Republicans.

Findlay: Question of Sunday sales of wine and mixed beverages from 1 p.m. to midnight at Wal-Mart Super Center, 1161 Trenton Ave.

Vanlue Schools: Additional 0.5 percent income tax and 4.1-mill bond issue, both for 28 years for a new school. The district extends into Seneca and Wyandot counties.

HENRY COUNTY

Henry County Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities: Renewal 1.9-mill, continuing operating levy.

Henry County South Joint Ambulance District: Additional 2.9-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Damascus Township: Additional 1-mill, continuing fire and emergency medical services levy.

Deshler: Renewal 1.4 mill, 5-year operating levy.

Patrick Henry Schools: Renewals of 0.75 percent income tax and 5.9-mill levy, both continuing issues for operations.

Napoleon mayor: Ronald A. Behm, Travis Sheaffer, and Matthew Wells, all Republicans.

Washington Township: Additional 1.9-mill, 5-year roads and bridges levy.

HURON COUNTY

Vermilion River Ambulance District: Replacement 1-mill, 5-year tax levy for emergency medical services. The district extends into Erie County.

Monroeville Schools: 5.5-mill bond issue and renewal of a 3.75-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy. The district extends into Erie County.

North Fairfield: Renewal 1.8-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Ripley Township: Additional 1.9-mill, 3-year roads and bridges levy.

Willard Schools: Renewal 1-mill, 5-year permanent improvements levy.

Willard: Additional 1/8 percent, 5-year income tax for more police.

OTTAWA COUNTY

Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools: Renewal 4.33-mill, 5-year operating levy.

Clay Township: Additional 0.5-mill, 5-year cemetery levy.

Genoa Schools: Additional 1.8-mill continuing permanent improvements levy.

PAULDING COUNTY

No issues or candidates.

PUTNAM COUNTY

Columbus Grove Schools: Additional 0.5-mill, continuing permanent improvements levy. Also a combined question of a 0.25 percent income tax for 23 years and a 7.72-mill bond issue for 28 years for building a new school.

SANDUSKY COUNTY

Sandusky County Parks District: Additional, 1-mill, 10-year operating levy.

Bellevue City Schools: Additional 0.75 percent, 5-year income tax for operations. The district extends into Seneca, Huron, and Erie counties.

Clyde-Green Springs Schools: Replacement 1.5-mill, 5-year for permanent capital improvements. The district extends into Seneca County.

Fremont Schools: 0.5 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

Green Creek Township: Additional 1.65-mill, 5-year fire levy.

SENECA COUNTY

Fostoria Schools: Renewal 7.5-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy. The district extends into Hancock and Wood counties.

Mohawk Schools: Additional 0.5 percent, 3-year income tax for operations. The district extends into Wyandot and Crawford counties.

Old Fort Schools: Renewal 6.3-mill, 5-year levy for operations and capital improvements.

Tiffin Schools: Additional 1.5-mill, 5-year permanent improvement levy.

Bettsville: Additional 4-mill, continuing levy for police.

Thompson Township: Additional 2-mill, continuing roads and bridges levy.

WILLIAMS COUNTY

Bryan Schools: Renewal 6.5-mill, 5-year emergency operating levy.

WOOD COUNTY

Bradner: Replacement 1-mill and 3-mill, continuing fire levies.

Lake Township: Additional 2.9-mill continuing police levy.

Bowling Green Schools: Renewal 0.5 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

North Baltimore Schools: 1 percent, 5-year income tax for operations.

Northwood Schools: Additional 5.9-mill, continuing for operations.

Otsego Schools: Additional 5-mill, 5-year operating levy to avoid a deficit.

Perrysburg Schools: 2.29-mill, 28-year bond issue for school construction.

Rossford Schools: Two replacements, both 7.9-mill, 5-year operating levies.