MOUNT VERNON — Knox County voters will decide four property tax issues, two liquor-control options, and one income tax levy when they go to the polls on May 5.
The Knox County Board of Elections certified the candidates and issues during its meeting on Thursday evening.
Mount Vernon City Schools has a 1-percent earned income tax levy on the primary ballot. The levy will help fund the implementation of a roughly $138 million master facilities plan that includes building three new elementary schools.
School Superintendent Bill Seder expects the income tax levy to generate around $6 million annually for 30 years.
Three of the property tax levies certified by the board are renewals. One is a renewal and increase. Levies include:
•Central Ohio Joint Fire District has a four-year, 5.5-mill renewal levy for fire and EMS services.
•Fredericktown Community Joint Ambulance District has a five-year, 1-mill renewal levy for ambulance and EMS services.
•Morris Township Fire District has a three-year, 4-mill renewal levy for fire equipment and services.
•Liberty Township has a five-year, 4.5-mill renewal levy for fire and EMS services. The original levy was 4.4 mills with a 0.1-mill increase for a total of 4.5 mills.
Centerburg voters will vote on two liquor options for 23 E. Main St., the site of a future Mexican restaurant. One option is on-premises sales of spirituous liquor. The other option is Sunday sales of wine, mixed beverages, and spirituous liquor, on- and off-premises.
The board did not certify a liquor option for on-premises sales of spirituous liquor at AMVETS Post #59.
“They put the wrong name of the entity. Liquor control is extremely strict about that, so the board did not certify that,” BOE Director James Blazer said.
Elections board certifies partisan candidates
In county races, the four-member board certified Christa Ciotola and Bill Pursel on the Republican ticket for the county commissioner term beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Running unopposed are incumbent Republicans Sarah Thorne for county auditor and Jay Nixon for probate/juvenile judge.
No Democrat filed to run in the primary for county races.
Candidates will contest several Central Committee positions on both the Democratic and Republican tickets.
Democrats Melissa Dabakis and Adam Gilson will vie for the Mount Vernon 2-C position.
On the Republican side, Elizabeth Marie Escalante and Scott Pullins are certified for the Mount Vernon 4-A race.
There are four contested township races for the Republican Central Committee:
•Harrison Township: Claude Gates and Adrianne Schreiber
•Howard D: Andrew Frye and Sally Slonaker
•Miller Township: John Holley and Drenda Keesee
•Monroe A: Kimberly Sue Williams and Scott Zimmerman
The elections board had until Feb. 17 to certify the petitions.
Write-in candidates for the May 5 primary must file declarations of intent by Feb. 23.
