Portage County voters rejected almost every request for new money on Tuesday’s ballot, while renewal levies passed easily.
The Aurora City School District held the distinction of the only successful requested increase, as voters passed the bond issue designed to help it construct a new elementary school 5,002 for to 4,117 against. (Another 244 people voted for it in Summit County and 176 voted against.)
Overall, nearly 62% of Portage County’s registered voters cast a ballot in the Nov. 3 election.
While Republican Heidi Workman held on to her seat in state House of Representatives District 72, there were some shakeups. Republican Mike Tinlin will no longer serve as a Portage County Commissioner. That title will now belong to Democrat Jenny D. Adams, who earned 33,308 votes to incumbent Tinlin’s 31,171.
Republican Matt Kelly ran an uncontested race for county auditor. Also on the ballot were some uncontested races for judge seats, as well as some levies and charter amendments that were primarily in another county. Those results, as well as those for local liquor options, are not included below. For full results, visit the Portage County Board of Elections website.
The following results are from the county’s final unofficial canvass.
Federal and state races
Portage County voters cast ballots in two U.S. Congressional districts: 13 and 14, where both incumbents won. Democrat Emilia Sykes won a decisive victory in the 13th district and Republican David P. Joyce easily kept his 14th district seat, as well. Both won in Portage County, as well as overall.
In the Senate, Democrat Sherrod Brown will represent Ohio voters. He won Portage County, as well, earning 31,974 of 65,958 votes cast in that race in the county.
Portage County also joined the rest of the state in selecting Democrat Amy Acton over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for governor. She won 33,784 of the county's votes, compared with Ramaswamy's 29,625.
In the state Senate, Democrat Mike Roberto will represent the 27th district; the district covers some of Summit and Geauga counties and all of Portage County. Roberto narrowly won Portage County, as well, earning 32,541 votes there to Republican Steve Demetriou’s 32,405.
Democrat Samantha Salamon will be the state representative for District 35, which primarily serves Summit County.
District 72, where Workman won reelection, serves only Portage County. She won about 49% of the vote with 22,880 votes total; Democrat Jeff Clapper received 22,179 votes, while Libertarian Michael Fricke received 1,490.
Local issues
At the countywide level, the Portage County Jobs and Family Services asked for an additional 0.4-mill, 5-year levy. That ask failed, 32,922 against the levy to 30,814 for it. The Portage County Mental Health and Recovery Board asked for a renewal on its 0.3-mill, 10-year levy; that levy passed, 40,640 for to 23,935 against.
Paris Township had an item on the ballot that could have repealed all of the zoning in the township. That failed, 452 against to 235 for.
The Aurora City School District’s successful bond issue has a maximum period of 37 years. The 4.26-mill bond issue will support the construction of a new school, as well as renovations or other upgrades to school facilities.
Ravenna’s additional income tax issue, which was asking for a 0.25% increase for 30 years to fund new city facilities, failed. Almost twice as many people voted against the increase as for it: 2,504 against to 1,266 for.
Kent voters, however, approved changing the terms and purpose of its 0.25% tax that was originally for its police station, with 4,140 votes for the tax and 3,878 against. That increase was originally supposed to end on Dec. 31, 2038, but has now been approved for a continuing period of time.
Ravenna Township asked voters to approve an additional 4.5-mill, 5-year levy for EMS. That failed in a close race, 1,595 against to 1,524 for.
Brimfield Township was seeking an additional 1.95-mill, 5-year levy for its fire and EMS, which failed, 2,619 against to 2,456 for.
Deerfield Township was looking to combine a renewal and an increase for its fire and EMS. That 2.75-mill, 5-year ask failed, 536 against to 472 for.
But overall, straightforward renewals did well:
There were three school levy renewal asks on the ballot for Portage-only districts. All passed: Ravenna (3,551 for to 3,359 against), Streetsboro (3,858 for to 3,352 against) and Crestwood (3,165 to 2,562 against).
The Garrettsville, Freedom, Nelson Joint Fire District asked for a renewal levy for 3.2 mills for 5 years. That passed, 1,959 to 988.
Aurora’s 5-year, 0.9-mill renewal tax levy for roads and bridges passed, 6,232 for to 3,005 against.
In Hiram Village, the 4.4-mill, 5-year renewal tax levy passed 136 for to 65 against.
In Franklin Township, the 2-mill, 5-year renewal roads and bridges levy passed, 2,214 for to 667 against.
And Paris Township’s 2-mill, 5-year renewal fire and EMS levy also passed, 448 for to 207 against.