Voters approve VWCS levy in primary

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert City Schools’ continuing income tax levy passed by a comfortable margin, while Ken Mengerink eked out a slim victory over challenger Pete Weir for City Council president, Jerry Mazur defeated Stuart Jewett in the Third Ward Council primary and Jon Tomlinson, Stan Agler and Brent Crone were Republican nominees for at-large Council seats following Tuesday’s primary election.

“It is a great opportunity for our school district,” said VWCS Superintendent Ken Amstutz. “We want to thank all the tremendous people that helped to make this happen, especially Wayne Kilton, Chris Roberts and our (campaign) treasurer, Denise Gutierrez.”

The school issue, which renews the district’s 1-percent income tax and also makes it a continuing levy, versus having to be renewed every five years, passed 1,088 to 734, a margin of nearly 20 percent (59.71 percent to 40.29 percent). The levy received nearly districtwide support, with only four of the 20 precincts that make up the district voting against the levy. Those precincts include Van Wert 1A, 2C and 4B and Liberty Township.

The greatest margin of victory came in Van Wert 4D, which passed the levy by 110 votes, 176-66, while the smallest margin of victory came in Ohio City, which passed the levy by just one vote, 33-32 (see levy precinct-by-precinct breakdown further down in the story).

Amstutz said passage of the levy would now provide a stable source of funding for the district and also make it easier for Treasurer Mike Ruen to develop five-year forecasts mandated by the state. Those forecasts have included large deficits, largely because the money generated by the income tax levy could not be counted, since it was usually up for renewal within the forecast time period.

“We can now plan for the future on a continual basis, instead of wondering and looking ahead to the five-year forecast,” the superintendent noted. “Now we can build upon that and do good planning.”

Amstutz also added that his administration has tried hard to be fiscally responsible and also provide an excellent education for district students — something passage of the continuing levy will not change.

“People are pleased with what we are doing as a school district, academically,” Amstutz said. “When the next five years roll around, we will not have to worry about the levy, but we will still worry about if our taxpayers are happy, and we will make sure that this happens.”

The closest race was that to fill the position of Van Wert City Council president being vacated by Gary Corcoran, who chose not to run for re-election. Ken Mengerink defeated Pete Weir for the Republican nomination by a slim margin of 55 votes, winning 556-501.

Mengerink said he was thankful for the voters’ support. “I am pleased with the results (and) I want to thank everyone that voted for me and supported me,” Mengerink said after results were in. “I look forward to getting back into the political climate.”

Mengerink said he feels his leadership abilities, fostered over 20 combined years as president of the Van Wert City and Vantage boards of education, would also be an asset as Council president. “I like to run meetings and I’m good at it, so I’m looking forward to the next two years and getting involved.”

Weir said he was disappointed with the low voter turnout, but supported Mengerink as he moves into his new role. “I wish there was a larger turnout in the voting and I wish Ken Mengerink the best in all his endeavors as City Council president,” Weir noted following the election.

In the other contested races, Jerry Mazur defeated Stuart Jewett, 235-125, for the Republican nomination for the Third Ward Council seat, while Jon Tomlinson (757), Stan Agler (632) and Brent Crone (574) earned the Republican nomination for the three at-large Council seats over Kirby Kelly. Tomlinson, a former Third Ward councilman, and Agler and Crone, who are both currently at-large councilmen, will now move on to face the other current at-large councilman, Jeff Agler, a Democrat, in the November general election.

John Marshall and Joi Mergy were unopposed for their First and Second Ward Council seats, respectively, while Steve Trittschuh also ran unopposed for the Republican nomination for the Fourth Ward Council seat, although he will have to face Democrat Jim Hamman in the November general election.

Don Hangartner was also unopposed for the Republican nomination for city treasurer and faces no opposition in November.

In Delphos, Del Kemper won over Gregory Etgen, 46-38 in Van Wert County voting for Delphos’ Fourth Ward Council seat, while the Delphos Public Library levy renewal passed 796-122 overall and 241-43 in Van Wert County.

The Apollo Career Center bond issue tied in Van Wert County, 12 votes apiece, but passed overall by a comfortable margin, according to unofficial sources.

Turnout was light, even considering only 28 of the county’s 39 precincts voted. The total of 2,148 registered voters who actually cast ballots was probably only about 15 percent of those eligible to vote in the 28 precincts that had primary election issues or races.