Wyandot Co. voters approve levy renewal for Carey library

UPPER SANDUSKY — A continuing levy renewal for operating expenses for the Dorcas Carey Public Library was approved at the polls on Tuesday. Wyandot County voters who live in Upper Sandusky also approved proposed amendments to the city's charter, and residents of Crane Township — which includes the city of Upper Sandusky — renewed a tax levy for current expenses. Meanwhile, Republican incumbent David T. Courtad won re-election as a county commissioner, while current Wyandot County prosecutor Douglas D. Rowland will serve as the new Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. All vote totals are unofficial. Library levy renewal According to the Wyandot County Board of Elections, voters approved a 1.75-mill continuing levy for the Dorcas Carey library with 1,280 voting in favor and 326 opposed. The library also covers a portion of Seneca County where the Seneca County Board of Elections tallied 45 votes in favor of the request and 25 opposed. The unofficial overall vote count was 1,325 in favor, and 351 opposed. The levy generates approximately $169,722 per year before the auditor's collection fees are taken out, according to library director Laura Toland. For a person with a home valued at $100,000, the cost is $53.60 a year. Toland explained that the only change is rather than asking for a five-year collection, as was approved by voters in 2018, the new renewal would be for a continuing period of time. She said the library also needs to offer a competitive wage to be able to hire and maintain employees along with preserving the library building, which dates back to 1906. The Carey School District includes portions of Wyandot and Seneca counties. The public library is considered a school district library. Upper Sandusky charter Voters who live in Upper Sandusky approved proposed changes to 15 articles in the city's charter with 1,338 in favor and 802 opposed. The changes generally deal with adding gender neutral language and reformatting sentences to make the articles easier to understand. County seats In the race for judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Rowland was the top vote-getter with 4,188 votes, while his opponent Kathryn McCarthy Collins, who is the current Wyandot County Magistrate, received 3,412 votes. Judge Kathleen A. Aubry did not seek re-election. Meanwhile, Courtad retained his seat as a Wyandot County commissioner, receiving 5,412 votes, while independent candidate Thomas D. Davidson received 2,417 votes. Riverdale School District Voters who live in the Riverdale School District rejected a request for a three-year, 1.75% income tax. In Wyandot County, the vote was 236 in favor, 360 opposed. The vote in Hancock County was 445 in favor, 457 opposed. And in Hardin County, 286 voters approved the request while 422 were opposed. Overall, the vote total was 967 in favor, 1,239 opposed. If approved by voters, the school board had agreed to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to pass a resolution withdrawing the current 1% income tax that is currently being collected. Superintendent Greg Rossman said this, in essence, would change the amount of the collection from 1% to 1.75% — an increase of 0.75%. The current 1% income tax generates $1.6 million annually for the school district, while the additional 0.75% would increase that yearly amount to $2.8 million, he said. If approved, the income tax would have been collected for three years. The district has not passed a new operating levy since 1994. Since then, operating costs, utilities and materials have all continued to increase, Rossman said, adding that the current bond issue is set to expire in December 2023. There are 1,100 students in the school district. Crane Township In Crane Township, residents renewed a five-year 0.5 mill tax levy for current expenses with 1,646 votes in favor and 923 opposed. The tax generates $79,731 annually.