Anna levy recount set for Dec. 7

0

SIDNEY — A recount of the Anna income tax levy will be held Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 7 a.m.

During a special meeting Wednesday, Nov. 30, the Shelby County Board of Elections approved the recount after receiving the proper request for the recount.

The .25 percent levy, which was for additional funding for the police department, failed by four votes when the election was certified on Nov. 21. The final tally was 347 votes for the levy and 351 votes against the levy.

The board of elections received a fax Monday from Anna Village Administrator Wayne York requesting the recount. The letter, said Chairman Chris Gibbs, didn’t meet the state’s standards for a request for the recount.

A letter was sent to York stating he needed to coordinate with the council and village solicitor to submit the correct request by 4 p.m. Monday. Later in the day Monday, York walked into the board of elections and Director Dawn Billing handed York the letter and told him the new request had to be submitted by 4 p.m.

The state requires a committee of five voters who voted for the levy be formed with a chairperson before the request can be made. Once the committee is formed then a request can be made for the recount.

Members of the committee are Richard Eshleman, Kathleen Eshleman, Linda Pleiman, Kathryn Pleiman Opperman, Mark Pulfer and Jana Pulfer. Richard Eschelman is the chairperson.

Certified letters will be sent to Eschelman and Anna Village Council informing them of when the recount will be held.

In conjunction with the Anna recount, the official audit of the election will also be conducted. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has directed each board of election to audit the presidential ticket, the Justice of the Supreme Court (full term Jan. 2, 2017, which was the race between Pat DeWine and Cynthia Rice) and one local county race.

The board approved the treasurer’s race as the local race to be included in the audit.

The audit, said Gibbs, is a sampling of the total vote in the county. Five percent of the votes of the total number of people who cast votes must be included in the recount. On Nov. 8, a total of 24,116 voters went to the polls. The audit must include 1,206 ballots (5 percent of 24,116).

All single precinct numbers were put into a bowl and precincts were drawn out until the total reached more than 1,206. Precincts to be recounted — in the order they were drawn — include precinct 14, Clinton Township with 523 votes; precinct 21, Green Township with 500 votes; and precinct 20, Franklin Township with 1,001 votes. The total number of ballots to be recounted will be 2,024.

The board approved having three teams of people (one Democrat and one Republican on each team) to assist with the recount and audit.

Audit of Nov. 8 election planned for same meeting

By Melanie Speicher

[email protected]

Reach the writer at 937-538-4822; follow her on Twitter @MelSpeicherSDN. Follow the SDN on Facebook, www.facebook.com/SidneyDailyNews.

No posts to display