Issues, no candidates, to appear on 2023 Licking County primary election ballot

Kent Mallett, Newark Advocate
·3 min read
Don Hill Licking County Administration Building, where the board of elections is located.
Don Hill Licking County Administration Building, where the board of elections is located.

NEWARK − The May 2 primary election in Licking County will be an issues-only election, with no candidate names appearing on the ballot.

The Licking County Board of Elections certified on Monday the candidates and issues for the ballot. So, voters will not be asked if they want a Democratic or Republican ballot, as in most primary elections. There will only be one ballot.

In Newark city elections, the only contested race will be decided in the November election. In Heath, only incumbents submitted candidate petitions.

The lone contested race for the Nov. 7 general election will be for Newark City Council at-large, with Republican incumbents Cheri Hottinger and Spencer Barker, Democrat Bill Cost and Republican Dustin Neely competing for three seats. Cost is a former councilman and Neely makes his first council run.

Republican Jeff Harris, who currently occupies one of the three council a-large seats, is the lone candidate for council president. Current Council President Don Ellington is not a candidate.

In other Newark elected positions, the only candidates are Republican incumbents Jeff Hall for mayor, Tricia Moore for law director and Ryan Bubb for auditor. Incumbent David Stansbury is the lone candidate for Licking County Municipal Court judge.

In Heath, which has non-partisan elections, the candidates are incumbent Jay Morrow for auditor, and incumbents Jeff Crabill, Tim Kelley, Deb Cole and Christopher Lawson for council at-large.

The issues list includes five for school districts, five for townships, five for villages and five liquor options.

The Granville Exempted, Heath, Johnstown-Monroe (with two) and Northridge Local school districts have tax issues on the ballot.

Property tax issues also appear in Granville, Hanover, Monroe and Union townships and the village of Utica.

The elections board approved six of seven local option issues for the ballot. The exception was Dirty Buns and Brews in Johnstown, which needed 50 signatures from registered voters on its petition, but turned in just 35.

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

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Twitter: @kmallett1958

Licking County Ballot Issues

Following are the list of issues certified Monday by the Licking County Board of Elections to appear on the May 2 primary election ballot.

Townships

  • Granville Township: Property tax renewal, 0.5 mills for 5 years to maintain and operate cemeteries.

  • Granville Township: Gas aggregation.

  • Hanover Township: Property tax, additional; 1 mill for 5 years to maintain and operate cemeteries.

  • Monroe Township: Property tax renewal, 4.5 mills for continuous period of time for fire and EMS.

  • Union Township: Property tax, additional, 7 mills for 5 years for fire and EMS.

Schools

  • Granville Exempted Village School District: Income tax renewal; 0.75% for 5 years for current operating expenses.

  • Heath City School District: Property tax substitute, 14.5 mills for continuous period of time to provide necessary requirements.

  • Johnstown-Monroe Local School District: Income tax renewal, 1.00% for 5 years for current operating expenses.

  • Johnstown-Monroe Local School District: Property tax renewal, 4.8 mills for 5 years for emergency requirements.

  • Northridge Local School District: Property tax renewal, 5.5 mills for 5 years for emergency requirements.

Villages

  • Buckeye Lake: Property tax renewal of 5 mills and increase of 3 mills, 8 mills for 5 years for fire and EMS.

  • Granville: Gas aggregation.

  • Gratiot: Electric aggregation.

  • Gratiot: Gas aggregation.

  • Utica: Property tax, additional, 5 mills for 5 years for operation of police department.

Local options

  • Granville Village A: Sunday sale of wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on/off premise sales, Harvest Pizzeria, 454 S. Main St.

  • Johnstown C: Sunday sale of wine, mixed beverages on/off premise sales, Bell Stores, 8 W. Coshocton St.

  • Buckeye Lake village: Sunday sale of wine, mixed beverages or spirituous liquor on/off premise sales, Blue Herron K&P, 10880 Mill Dam Road SE.

  • Union Township B: Sunday sale of wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on/off premise sales, Fraternal Order of Eagles 2801, 3240 Walnut Road SE.

  • Buckeye Lake village: Sunday sale of wine, mixed beverages and spirituous liquor on/off premise sales, Pizza Cottage, 4592 Walnut Road.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Issues, no candidates, to appear on Licking County primary ballot