The Delaware County Board of Elections certified six candidates and four issues to the May 7 primary election ballot on Tuesday, but officials declined to certify a petition for a Sunday liquor sales license for a new Delaware restaurant.
Three candidates — one Democrat and two Republicans — were certified to the ballot for the Delaware Municipal Court clerk position by the board. Each candidate was required to submit a petition with a minimum of 50 valid signatures from registered voters in Delaware County to be certified to the ballot.
Emma Miles (D) will run unopposed in the Democratic primary. Depending on the outcome of the Republican primary, she will either face Cindy Dinovo (R), the incumbent, or Kris Jordan (R), who was elected as representative of the 67th District in the Ohio House of Representatives in November.
The board certified two candidates for Delaware Municipal Court-1 judge: Melissa K. Riggins (R) and Kyle E. Rohrer (R). Each candidate was required to submit a petition of 50 valid registered voter signatures, and there were no Democrats who elected to run for the position.
The seat up for grabs belongs to Judge David Sunderman, who decided not to seek re-election.
Fellow Municipal Court Judge Marianne T. Hemmeter (R) is running unopposed in the Republican primary for re-election to her court seat on the bench. Hemmeter was first appointed by former Gov. John Kasich in 2015.
After certifying the candidates, the board moved to certify the issues to the ballot.
“I don’t know what to say about this next one,” said Board of Elections Director Karla Herron.
One of the newer establishments in downtown Delaware, Old Dog Alehouse & Brewery at 13 W. William St., submitted a petition for a Sunday liquor sales license. The restaurant needed 103 valid registered voter signatures on the petition to get the issue on the ballot.
“They have seven valid signatures,” Herron said. “They actually said they forgot a part and did bring back an additional 10 signatures about a half hour later.”
Herron’s recommendation to the board was to not certify the petition.
Herron added when the establishment submitted its petition, the excuse for the lack of signatures was that Ohio Wesleyan University is their precinct to obtain the signatures, but most of the people in the area don’t live there permanently, so they are not registered voters.
“There were a lot of excuses when they filed,” Herron said.
The board voted unanimously to not certify the petition to the May 7 ballot. It also voted unanimously in favor of a motion to have SCS Consulting Services Ltd. investigate the petition.
The board did, however, certify the following four issues to be placed on the ballot:
• The Village of Ashley is asking voters to approve a 5-year, 1-mill property tax renewal levy for parks and recreational purposes commencing in 2019 and first due in 2020.
• The Delaware City School District is asking voters to approve a 5-year, 3-mill property tax renewal levy for providing permanent improvements commencing in 2019 and first due in 2020.
• The Delaware City School District is also asking voters to approve a bond issue with a principle of $36.5 million at a rate of 2.37 mills for 37 years commencing in 2019 and first due in 2020 for the constructing school facilities; renovating, repairing, improving and constructing additions to existing school facilities; furnishing and equipping the same; improving the sites thereof; and acquisition of land and interest in land.
• The Tri Township Fire District is asking voters to approve a 5-year, 5.5-mill property tax renewal levy commencing in 2019 and first due in 2020 for providing and maintaining fire apparatuses, appliances, buildings … etc.
The filing deadline to enter the May 7 primary as a candidate or to place an issue on the ballot was Feb. 6. The deadline for write-in candidates to file is Feb. 26.