Alexandria, St. Albans Township merger commission creation among issues on November ballot

Kent Mallett, Newark Advocate
Updated ·6 min read

ST. ALBANS TOWNSHIP − A year after the removal from the ballot of an Alexandria-St. Albans Township merger question, the issue is once again scheduled to come before voters.

The process differed this time, according to organizers, and an affirmative vote in November only starts a yearlong investigative procedure and does not commit the communities to take any action. A second vote would be needed for the merger to occur.

The merger question is one of 27 issues on ballots throughout Licking County. Other notable issues are a proposed Johnstown income tax increase and a North Fork Local School District bond issue for construction of school facilities.

More: Candidates file for city, village, township, school board jobs all over Licking County

The remaining issues include four for fire protection, two for roads and bridges, 13 for gas or electric aggregation and five liquor options.

Organizers of the merger question said this effort is a citizen-led initiative, not government led, like last year, and would establish a merger commission to investigate. Five township residents and five village residents would serve on the commission.

The township residents are: Dawn Burton, Ann Lodder, Elaine Robertson, Dean Schiller and Ben Zanks. The village residents are: Jeff Baer, Sean Barnes, Carianne Meng, Stephanie Taylor and Craig Thorpe

The group leading last year's effort comprised people who were predominantly against merging and submitted the ballot petition to the board of elections in June as a way to slow down talk of a merger.

Barnes has not participated in village government but is the lone mayoral candidate on the November ballot. He said he is not yet certain a merger is the best approach but that the commission will help provide the answer.

“I think it’s definitely something the township and village should look at," Barnes said. "There’s a great deal of concern about what the development around us is going to do.

“Most of the people like the rural character and want the development to fit. If a merger gives the community more control, I think it’s a good thing.”

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Ann Lodder, a township resident who moved there in 2012 and owned property there since 1997, said the recent proposed asphalt and concrete plants in the township provided a wake-up call.

“It turned out there was a group of us like-minded and wanted to look to see if this made sense for our area," Lodder said. "I don’t know right now.

“As a taxpayer and a voter, I think every resident deserves the opportunity to say ‘Let’s look at this,’ or ‘No, I don’t want to investigate.’”

Mayor Jim Jasper, who is not running for another term, said he thinks Barnes will be a good mayor for the village and supports consideration of a merger.

“I think that is possibly our only hope of maintaining our rural lifestyle," Jasper said. "Townships are just being eaten away. We want to have some control.”

Issues on the November ballot

Following are the issues filed by Wednesday's deadline to appear on Nov. 7 general election ballots in Licking County.

  • Licking County: Gas aggregation for the unincorporated areas of the county that do not have gas aggregation.

  • Licking County: Electric aggregation for the unincorporated areas of the county that do not have electric aggregation.

  • Heath city: Property tax replacement levy; 1.0 mill property tax for a continuing period of time for fire protection and emergency medical services.

  • Heath city: Property tax replacement levy; 1.5 mill property tax for a continuing period of time for fire protection.

  • Pataskala city: Electric aggregation.

  • Pataskala city: Gas aggregation.

  • Johnstown city: Income tax increase from 1% to 2.25% for public safety, economic development, operations efficiencies and capital improvements; and increasing the credit for taxes paid to other municipalities from 0% to 75% of the amount obtained by multiplying the income, qualifying wages, commissions, net profits or other compensation subject to tax in the other municipality by the lower of tax rate in such other municipality or the tax rate imposed under this chapter.

  • Alexandria village-St. Albans Township: Asks village and township residents whether a merger commission should be chosen to draw up a statement of conditions for merger of the village of Alexandria and the Township of St. Albans. Approval establishes the merger commission and does not commit the communities to a merger.

  • Buckeye Lake village: Electric aggregation, overlaps into Fairfield County.

  • Hartford village: Gas aggregation.

  • Hartford village: Electric aggregation.

  • Hebron village: Gas aggregation.

  • Hebron village: Electric aggregation.

  • Kirkersville village: Gas aggregation.

  • Kirkersville village: Electric aggregation.

  • Utica village: Gas aggregation, overlaps into Knox County.

  • Utica village: Electric aggregation, overlaps into Knox County.

  • Burlington Township: Property tax renewal, 3 mills for five years, for roads and bridges.

  • Hartford Township: Property tax renewal, 3 mills for five years, for roads and bridges.

  • Hopewell Township: Property tax renewal, 1.5 mills for a continuing period of time, for fire protection and emergency medical services.

  • Mary Ann Township: Property tax replacement, 2.0 mills for a continuing period of time, for fire protection and emergency medical services.

  • North Fork Local School District: Bond for construction of school facilities, including new middle school building, and renovating, improving and expanding existing school facilities; furnishing and equipping the facilities; improving the sites; and acquiring land and interests in land as necessary in the principal amount of $58 million, to be repaid annually over a maximum of 37 years.

  • Homer Fire District: Property tax additional, 5.0 mills for three years, for fire protection and emergency medical services.

  • Etna Township C: Local option, sale of beer, wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor; Sunday sale of wine and mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on/off premise sale. Yeti Express, LLC, dba Yeti Express, 12565 National Rd SW, Unit A, Pataskala.

  • Licking Township A: Local option, Sunday sale of wine and mixed beverages, on/off premise sales. Bell Stores, Inc., dba BellStores 1160, 10583 Jacksontown Road, Thornville.

  • Pataskala 4A: Local option, sale of spirituous liquor; Sunday sale of beer, wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on/off premise sales. Ivory Barn Custom Home Decor, LLC, 341 South Main St., Pataskala.

  • Pataskala 4A: Local option, sale of spirituous liquor; Sunday sale of beer, wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on/off premise sale. The Dorsten, LLC, 329 Wood St., Pataskala.

  • St. Albans Township B: Local option, sale of beer, wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor; Sunday sale of wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on/off premise sale. Blackstar Winery, LLC, 2 E Main St., Alexandria.

  • St. Albans Township B: Local option, sale of spirituous liquor; Sunday sale of beer, wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on/off premise sale. Babananak Fuel, Inc, dba The Hawk’s Nest Pub, 261 W. Main St., Alexandria.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Alexandria, St. Albans Township merger among issues on November ballot