May Election Features State Issue Two

Several Local Tax Levies On Ballot

By Bruce Yarnall, Barnesville Area News

Early voting is currently underway for the May 6, 2025, Special Election while the day of the election, polls will be open from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm.

Statewide Issue

Statewide voters will decide the fate of a single Statewide measure, State Issue Two.

Known as the “Local Public Infrastructure Bond Amendment.”   If approved, the amendment would authorize $2.5 billion in bonds for the State Capital Improvement program, which would go to local governments to help with infrastructure projects, such as road repairs. Approval of the bill will not increase local or state taxes. Funding for the projects will come from the sale of bonds.    

Local State Senator Brian Chavez (R-Marieta) is a sponsor of the bill. Originally funded in 1987 by a statewide bonds, Ohio voters successfully renewed the program three times in 1995, 2005 and 2014.  

It has strong support from local governments as it will return money for community infrastructure and bricks and mortar projects deemed important to that community.

Reaching out to Barnesville Village Administrator Roger Deal when contacted more specifically said, “this is what funds Ohio Public Works Commission” and it allows many projects in the Village of Barnesville and all of Belmont County to be completed”.

Deal added, “the Village has received, I believe, 19 of these (OPWC) grants over the past 21 years to cover paving projects, waterline projects, wastewater projects, and others”.

In 2025, the funds will cover nine street paving projects in the village. Funds for the $75,000 state Capital Improvements grant for the Barnesville Depot roof secured by Senator Brian Chavez are also generated by the bonds approved in 2014.     

Deal emphasized, “the passage of this issue is very much needed.“

Also, on the Barnesville ballot will be one candidate for Republican party voters. Current village council president Tony Johnson is running for reelection this year.

Barnesville Village Council

There will be three other village council seats up for grabs this year. Independent candidates have until May 5 to submit petitions for the seats.

In all, four seats will be up for grabs on November 4. Johnson’s and those currently held by Les Tickhill, Tim McKelvey and Brad Hudson. McKelvey and Hudson were recently appointed to the body following the resignations in January of Steven Hill and Brian Yarnall, both of whom cited frustration with the way village council was operating.     

Local Issues

Voters in a few western Belmont County subdivisions will be asked to approve local tax levies. They are:

Village of Belmont – A proposed one-mill, five-year property tax to care for the cemetery     

Village of Flushing – A renewal levy of one-mill, five years for fire protection

Kirkwood Township – A proposed additional one-mill, five-year property tax for cemetery care.

Last November voters in the Village of Belmont rejected a cemetery and general expenses of 3.5 mills levy. A portion of that levy was intended for the care of Belmont Cemetery. 

Similarly, an additional 1 mill levy to care for cemeteries in Kirkwood Township was narrowly rejected by voters in November.

Facsimile copies of the ballots for each Belmont County precinct are currently posted on the Belmont Board of Elections website.