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Thornville elects 18-year-old council member




NEW LEXINGTON – Most of the lake area election activity was in Fairfield and Licking counties.

However, Thornville voters renewed two operating levies for five more years. Voters approved a one mill levy 204-127 and a 2.4 mill levy 189-143.

Thornville Mayor Gavin Renner thanked voters for renewing both levies. “Both the one mill levy and the 2.4 mill levy were passed for another five years,” he said. “As these are renewal levies, there will be no increase in taxes, just a continuation of what was collected before.” He said the revenue collected goes into the village’s general fund and is used for the daily operations of the village. “We will continue to use these funds responsibly as has been the policy for the last number of years,” Renner said.

Renner ran unopposed for anther term as mayor, garnering 229 votes. Thornville Village Council members Mary Renner and Olivia Newbold also ran unchallenged, receiving 160 and 220 votes, respectively. Village Administrator Beth Patrick said Newbold, who is 18 years old, may be one of the youngest council members in the state. “It’s nice to see younger individuals take an interest in public office,” Patrick said.

In other Perry County races:

• There will be no changes on the Northern Local School Board as incumbents Nancy Fox and Dale DeRolph maintained their positions for another term. Fox received 2269 votes in total (the Northern Local School District includes voters from Perry, Licking, and Fairfield counties), and DeRolph 1912 votes. Challengers Jeffrey Baird garnered 1229 votes and Charles Nichols received 1161 votes.

“We’ve always felt very fortunate with our board,” said Northern Local Treasurer Liz Arnold. “The members have always been very supportive.”

• Two Somerset operating levies were renewed. Voters renewed the 2.1 mill levy 275-139 and the 0.5 mill levy 253-136. Somerset’s power aggregation ordinance failed by a 207-180 vote.

Somerset Mayor Tom Johnson ran unopposed, receiving 308 votes. Village council incumbents Eric Emmert and Bill Mohler garnered 301 votes and 233 votes, respectively.

• In the race for Hopewell Township Fiscal Officer, Tara Gibson defeated Mary Beth Duffey 342 votes to 328.

• Thorn Township Trustee Robert Coleman and fiscal officer Billie Dearlove each ran unopposed, garnering 968 and 916 votes, respectively.

• The Perry County Developmental Disabilities replacement levy was approved by a 5882 to 3736 vote; the county home renewal levy was also approved by a 6138 to 3452 tally; and the children’s services additional levy passed 4979 to 4655.

• Perry County voters also rejected State Issue 3 which would have legalized marijuana. The vote was 6342 to 3372 – the closest margin in the lake area counties.



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