Pivotal levies pass in the Caldwell EVSD, East Muskingum School districts
by Z. Daniel Barnett - Published: May 8, 2013
The Guernsey County Board of Elections released its unofficial results at around 9:00pm Tuesday. Incumbent Art Clemenson won the Democratic nomination for Cambridge City Council’s First Ward race, beating challenger Darcel Fultz 57.8 percent to 42.2 percent.
Guernsey and Muskingum County voters overwhelmingly passed the East Muskingum Local School District levy, 77.9 percent (1384 votes for) to 22.1 percent (393 votes against). East Muskingum had asked for the 1.3-mill renewal levy for emergency requirements.
The Noble County Board of Elections announced around 8:40pm that the Caldwell Exempted Village Schools levy has passed with 57.2 percent for (1018 votes), and 42.8 percent against (759 votes). School offcials say the 12-mill replacement levy and 7-mill additional levy will prevent more than $920,000 in budget cuts that would have occurred, if the levy failed.
Results of the primary election do not bode well, however, for many school districts in Belmont and Monroe Counties.
According to unofficial results from the Noble, Belmont, and Monroe County Boards of Elections, the Switzerland of Ohio Schools levy failed, with 48.1 percent voting for (2239 votes) and 52.9 percent voting against (2419 votes). The additional, five-year levy had been set at 6.44 mills.
Belmont County elections officials say that only one school levy - that of the St. Clairsville-Richland City District - was approved by voters on Tuesday. Levies for the Bellaire, Bridgeport, and Buckeye Local School Districts, as well as the Jefferson JVS, were all voted down.
In Bethesda, voters approved two issues: An ongoing, 3-mill levy for the Police Department was overwhelmingly approved by 68.5 percent of voters. A five-year, 1.5-mill levy for general construction passed by an even greater margin, garnering 79 percent of the vote.
For a more detailed look at election results, visit the Belmont County Board of Elections website.
Primary election results will be certified by Secretary of State Jon Husted two weeks after election day, on May 21.
