Area Voters Okay Levies
Eicher Joins Council; Leupp, Hesterman, Short, Bostelman Win Township Positions
by David Pugh Buckeye Staff Writer

Voters in the Archbold area were feeling generous, as the Pettisville School District income tax and fire levies for both German and Franklin townships were approved in Tuesday's election.

The German Township fire levy, which replaced an existing half-mill (.5) property tax levy, passed, 1,253 in favor to 239 opposed. That's a 1,014-vote margin of victory, out of a total of 1,492 votes cast.

"That just shows the support the citizens of Archbold and German Township give us," Andy Brodbeck, Archbold Fire Department chief, said.

"I can't tell you how much we appreciate that support. Knowing it was on the table, in the hands of the citizens, we had some anxious moments. But we felt positive about it, based on the encouragement we were getting from citizens.

"This is big for us," Brodbeck said.

The money generated by the replacement levy will be used for the purchase, repair, or replacement of firefighting equipment, including fire trucks. The levy will remain on the books for five years.

Archbold Village Council

In the four-way scramble for three seats on Archbold village council, incumbent Ed Leininger was the top vote-getter with 812, followed by Kevin Eicher, 766, and incumbent Kevin Morton, 622. The three shut out Vaughn Bentz, former councilman and current Archbold Park Board member, who picked up 528 votes.

"I'm very pleased, and very excited" to be starting a second term on council, Leininger said.

"People say it's a thankless job, but it's truly not. I've had the joy of serving under a good mayor, with great councilmen," he said.

"I'm very happy," Eicher said. "I can't wait until the first of January, so I can sit on the village council, help the village out, and the people out," he said.

"I'm pleased and humbled," Morton said. "Anytime you get elected in your hometown, it's a humbling experience. We have a lot going on, and I'm looking forward to being involved."

Pettisville Levy

The passage of the Pettisville School District issue converted the current 1% income tax from one that must be renewed periodically to a continuing, or permanent, tax. Voters approved the continuing income tax 281 votes in favor, to 163 opposed, a 118-vote margin of victory.

The final total includes one vote in favor of the tax from Ridgeville Township, the only vote cast in that township on that issue. While there are Pettisville School District voters in Henry County's Freedom Township, no votes were cast there on the Pettisville income tax question.

Steve Switzer, Pettisville School District superintendent, said he was very pleased with the results.

"We will try to do well with the resources provided. We will try to be good stewards of those resources."

Revenue from the income tax makes up about 10% of the school district budget, so in terms of having, or not having, the income tax, "it's very critical," Switzer said.

Franklin Township voters approved their six-tenths (.6) of a mill additional fire levy, 111 in favor to 35 opposed, a more than three-to-one margin of victory.

German Township

In German Township, Kenneth "Skip" Leupp won the twoway race for township trustee, defeating Stephen Lange, a former township trustee, 814 to 662, a 152-vote margin of victory.

Keith Short defeated incum- bent Mari Yoder by 293 votes for the post of fiscal officer. The final count was 879 for Short, to 586 for Yoder.

Ridgeville Township

There were upsets in Henry County's Ridgeville Township. Robert Hesterman defeated incumbent Roger Miller for a seat on the township trustees, 202 to 142.

In the race for fiscal officer, challenger Cheryl Bostelman defeated incumbent Virginia Miller, 197 to 142.

Voters decided to establish a park in Ridgeville, by a vote of 281 in favor to 64 opposed. The final count represents a four-toone margin of victory.

Other Results

Voters in the Gorham-Fayette School District approved a five-year renewal of a seventhtenths (.7) of a mill property tax levy for operating expenses, 293 in favor, to 249 opposed.

In the four-way race for three seats on the Gorham-Fayette school board, David Brinegar (355 votes), Kirk Keiser (397), and Karen Joy King (325), were elected, leaving Terry Kovar (252) the odd man out.

Debra Leininger defeated Frederick Stockburger 293 to 227 for an unexpired term on the Gorham-Fayette School Board.

Jim Wyse, unopposed incumbent Archbold mayor, picked up 925 votes, while Scott Miller and David Yoder, unopposed incumbents for running for reelection to their Archbold Area School Board seats, netted 1,310 votes and 1,170 votes, respectively. The totals include Henry County votes.

Dan Sauder, unopposed in his bid for an unexpired term on the Pettisville School Board, was the top vote-getter among Pettisville School Board candidates, with 389.

Dan Bruner and Tom Beck were running, unopposed, for reelection to their seats on the Pettisville Board, and received 378 votes and 338 votes respectively. Each candidate received one vote from Henry County.

In the three-way race for two seats on Fayette Village Council, Ruth Marlatt and Michael Maginn were the winners, with 173 and 143 votes, respectively.

They shut out Eugene Rosinski, who garnered 92.

Anita VanZile, unopposed in her reelection bid for Fayette Mayor, received 211 votes.

There were two unopposed candidates in Franklin Township. Mark Ballmer received 112 votes for trustee, while John Winzeler received 122 votes for fiscal officer.

Larry Neuenschwander received 1,613 votes in his unopposed reelection bid for Clinton Township Trustee. Judy Warncke had 1,557 votes cast for her for fiscal officer. She, too, was unopposed.

In Dover Township, voters chose Sue Dieringer to serve as fiscal officer. She received 180 votes to Rhonda Borton's 147.

Larry Burkholder was unopposed in his bid for Dover Township Trustee. Voters cast 270 ballots for him.

Randy Merillat received 358 votes for Gorham Township Trustee. Merillat was unopposed, as was township fiscal officer candidate Michael Figgins, who picked up 379 votes.

There were three unopposed candidates in Freedom Township. Scott Van Valkenburg received 178 votes for trustee, while Alan Damman, running for an unexpired trustee term, received 212 votes.

Dennis J. Bockelman was the lone candidate for Freedom Township fiscal officer. He received 204 votes.

Henry County voters passed an additional 1.9-mill levy for three years for the Country View Haven county home.