Health levy remains uncertain

SANDUSKY — The Erie County commissioners took no action on the proposed Erie County Health Department renewal levy Wednesday. The issue will now go before the Erie County Board of Elections, which will host its next meeting on Aug. 14. An issue raised by the Ohio Secretary of State has thrown into doubt whether the previously approved levy will be on the November ballot. The health department wants approval of a renewal levy, which would not raise taxes. The commissioners contend that no action was necessary and that their previous vote sufficed to put the issue on the ballot. Erie County's health commissioner, Pete Schade, has asked county officials to make sure the levy will be on the fall ballot. A mistake on a document Earlier this summer, Erie County's commissioners voted 2-1 to put the health department's levy on the fall ballot. The health department is supported by three local levies. The one in question, a 0.2-mill, five-year levy that was supposed to be on the ballot, brings in about $650,000 a year. The Erie County auditor certified that the health levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $4.50 a year. The Ohio Secretary of State's office pointed out that's a mistake and that, under current law, the figure should have been rounded off to a whole dollar figure, $5. The auditor's office made the same mistake with four other ballot issues, a levy for Sandusky schools, a bond issue for Margaretta Schools, a Margaretta Township levy and a Bay View levy. All of those have been fixed, said Rick Jeffrey, Erie County's auditor. It was understood at first that the commissioners would have to act again, approving a corrected levy measure by Aug. 5, but commissioners concluded that wasn't necessary, said Steve Shoffner, one of the three commissioners. "We stand by our original resolution and an amended auditor's certificate which is now in the hands of the board of elections along with our original resolution," Shoffner said. "The board of elections will have to consider the issue at their next meeting." Matt Old, another commissioner, said the also thinks no further action is necessary. The Erie County elections board's next meeting is 9 a.m. on Aug. 14. A busy election board The election board will examine the issue and will be seeking legal advice from the county prosecutor, said Ed Leonard, president of the election board. Leonard is the former director of the election board in Franklin County. The board also will likely be dealing with a new candidate for the Ohio House. The incumbent, state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, announced Tuesday he won't seek re-election after all because he has been seeking another government job. Local Republican parties have until Monday to name a new candidate, who will be opposed in the fall election by Democrat Easton Retzke. Meanwhile, the health department is paying attention to the levy situation, Schade said. The prosecutor had asked the commissioners to pass a new resolution and the department now is "planning for the worst" if that becomes necessary, Schade said.