Perry Rupp, rural Wauseon, was the winner of the Republican primary election race for Fulton County Commissioner, and voters in the Pettisville Local School District approved renewing a 3.5-mill permanent improvement levy as a continuing tax.

Those are two of the results of the Tuesday, May 4 primary, in which about 18.7% of the county’s eligible voters turned out and cast ballots.

With no challenger from the Democratic Party, and no independent candidate, only a write-in candidate can stop Rupp from assuming one of the three county commissioner seats. He will replace Joe Short, Archbold, who chose not to seek reelection.

Fulton County voters cast 1,781 ballots for Rupp, compared to 1,226 for Dan Bruner, Pettisville, and 811 for Mark Ballmer, rural Fayette.

Rupp said he is looking forward to taking office and going to work.

“It’s just a new adventure for me. It’s the second phase of my life. I’m looking forward to serving the public,” he said.

Rupp had said before the election that he wanted to see Fulton County live within its means, “but I want to also generate bigger means, bigger incomes for the people of Fulton County.

“My focus will be on economic development,” he said, adding he looks forward to working with other county officials on the issue.

Bruner said as the result of Tuesday’s vote, Fulton County gets a good commissioner.

“There were three good candidates,” he said.

Will Bruner run for public office again?

“I have no clue,” he said.

Ballmer said he enjoyed the race for commissioner.

“I had a good time. I met a lot of really interesting people in the county, and I got to see and hear a lot of the wants and needs of the county.”

Pettisville

Voters approved the Pettisville School District permanent improvement levy, 226 to 158. The final total includes one yes vote from Henry County. No ballots against the levy were cast in Henry County.

“We certainly appreciate the voters’ continued support,” Steve Switzer, district superintendent, said.

School district officials will continue to do their best to work with the resources provided, he said.

By changing the permanent improvement levy from a property tax levy that must be renewed every five years to a permanent levy, “it allows us to plan over a longer period of time.

“It takes away any uncertainty of an unknown every five years, when there might be a difficult climate for a levy,” he said.

The permanent levy also gives the district the ability to borrow against future levy revenue if needed, he said.

Paul MacDonald, who was appointed to the Fulton County Clerk of Courts, defeated James M. Parker in the GOP primary, 2,176 to 1,105. Both men are from Wauseon. There is no Democratic challenger for the post.

Electric Aggregation

Electric aggregation, the program in which political subdivisions act as bargaining agents with First Energy Solutions to negotiate electrical rates for residential customers and small businesses, was approved everywhere it was offered in the county.

Archbold voters approved aggregation, 425 in favor to 98 opposed. Yes ballots made up 81% of ballots cast. Other subdivisions offering aggregation were Wauseon, Fayette, Swanton, and Fulton County for unincorporated areas.

Voters in the Gorham Fayette School District approved an additional threequarters (.75) of a mill levy for the Normal Memorial Library, 325 to 110. Money will be used for operations.

Clinton Township voters approved two fire levies. One, a reduction to six-tenths (.6) of a mill, passed 871 to 363, while a three-tenths of a mill fire levy passed 866 to 380. Both are five-year levies.

Also on the Clinton Township ballot was a renewal of a one-mill, five-year levy for roads. It passed 871 to 373.

Chesterfield Township voters passed a two-mill replacement levy for roads, 84 to 47, and a one-mill replacement levy for fire protection, 91-40. By passing a replacement levy, the taxes will be collected based on current property values, rather than values that were in place when the levy was first passed. Both are five-year levies.

Pike Township voters approved a halfmill (.5), five-year replacement fire levy, 196 to 68.

Other Local Races

Jeff and April Fryman, Archbold, lost their bids for seats on the Republican State Central Committee.

Jeff was defeated by incumbent Don Miller, Fostoria, 10,801 to 8,923. Jim Horton, Delta, a third man in the race, finished third, with 5,326 votes.

April lost to Judy Miller, also of Fostoria, 14,968 to 10,078.

Sarah Maxwell, Archbold, lost her bid for a spot on the Democratic State Central Committee to Brenda Griffith, Defiance, 4,549 to 4,037.

Bruce Goodwin, Defiance, incumbent 74th District state representative, defeated challenger Jim Volkert 6,755 to 3,005 in the GOP primary for the House seat. Goodwin’s district includes Fulton County.

Robert Latta, Bowling Green, handily defeated challenger Robert Wallis of Van Wert County 41,904 to 8,591 in the GOP primary for the Fifth District seat in the U.S. Congress. Latta is the incumbent.

State Races, Issues

As of presstime:

•David Yost was leading Seth Morgan 398,284 to 219,069 in the Republican Attorney General primary.

•Jon Husted was leading Sandra O’Brien 445,084 to 213,452 in the Republican Secretary Of State primary.

• Lee Fisher was leading Jennifer Brunner 325,772 to 263,356 in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

•State Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment to extend the Ohio Third Frontier Program, was passing 906,405 to 570,058.

•State Issue 2, a proposed constitutional amendment to change the location of the Columbus casino facility, was passing 994,507 to 468,919.