Portage voters approve countywide issues; school issues fail in Ravenna, Mogadore
Portage County voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved new tax dollars for the countywide park system and levies to support mental health and recovery services and the Portage Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Three Portage County school districts - Aurora, Mogadore and Ravenna - were seeking tax increases.
But only Aurora's levy, a 5.9-mill continuing levy for current operating expenses, was approved, by a margin of 3,861 to 3,776.
Mogadore voters in Summit and Portage counties rejected the district's 5.9-mill, five-year levy by a margin of 763 to 907, according to complete but unofficial results in each county; and Ravenna voters rejected the district's second attempt at a 6.9-mill, five-year levy for current expenses by a margin of 2,476 to 3,425.
The Portage Parks District sought a replacement levy, along with new funding. The Portage Mental Health and Recovery Board was seeking a replacement levy, and the Portage Board of Developmental Disabilities was seeking renewal of a pair of existing levies.
Voters supported the parks issue 32,389 to 23,595.
The 1-mill replacement and additional levy will generate $4.54 million annually. Park district officials have said the money will be used fund continued maintenance, improvements and growth to parks across Portage County.
The Mental Health and Recovery Board replacement levy was approved 34,220 to 21,312; the renewal levy for developmental disabilities 36,998 to 17,447.
Statewide issues on abortion and recreational marijuana also were on the ballot, and drove many voters to the polls.
Issue 1, making abortion constitutionally legal, and Issue 2, legalizing marijuana, passed easily statewide, and also were leading in Portage County, according to early results.
Faith Lyon, director of the Portage County Board of Elections, had projected a 55% voter turnout, and unofficial results fell just shy of that at 53.7%.
Voters speak out
Carla Wiggins voted at the Streetsboro United Methodist Church, wearing a shirt honoring the 19th amendment, the constitutional amendment enshrining the right of women to vote. She brought her 15-year-old daughter, Camryn, with her to witness the occasion.
Wiggins said in addition to city races and the school board contest in Streetsboro, the abortion issue was driving her to the polls.
"I'm a nasty woman," she said. "I need the government out of my uterus and everybody else's uterus."
In Ravenna, voters seemed driven by countywide issues and the school levy for the Ravenna school district, though some also mentioned the statewide issues.
Lloyd Alger said he supported all the tax issues for schools, developmental disabilities and mental health and was particularly concerned about Issue 31, the tax for the Portage Park District.
"I know they're asking for more money, but we have pretty good parks," he said. "It's free entertainment, especially with the cost of everything going up."
Dorthea Mackle, 92, a life resident of Ravenna, said she supported all the levies on the ballot, including the school levy. "I want to see what's going on yet," she said.
Mary Benedict and Marcia Patton said they were voting on the statewide issues and the local levies.
"We need school bus drivers," Patton said.
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage voters OK countywide issues; levies fail in Ravenna, Mogadore
