Voters defeat city income tax increase

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Whether it was the weather, confusion, or just plain apathy, a historically low primary vote narrowly defeated the City of Van Wert’s proposed 0.28-percent income tax increase, while incumbent City Treasurer Don Hangartner earned the Republican nomination for a second term over challenger Neil Straley.

The city tax increase, the first in more than a decade, was defeated 537 (47.82 percent) to 586 (52.18 percent). Of Van Wert’s 15 precincts, the tax increase passed in only five, with the measure going down in every precinct in First and Second wards. All four precincts in Third Ward approved the tax, as well as Precinct 4D, which is the largest precinct in the city.

Van Wert Mayor Jerry Mazur blamed the narrow loss on a failure by his administration to get the message out clearly about the city’s financial need.

“We have to sit down and talk about why we think we failed and make a plan for how we’re going to go forward in November,” the mayor said. “Ultimately, what we’re saying about the budget is going to come to fruition … and we’re going to run out of funds somewhere down the line.”

Hangartner, who is serving his first term in the part-time city treasurer’s position, outpolled Straley 451 (54.53 percent) to 376 (45.47 percent) to earn the Republican nod for the November general election.

Hangartner won two of the three First Ward precincts, losing by two votes (12-14) in Precinct 1A. Straley won three of the four Second Ward precincts, losing only Precinct 2D. Each candidate won two of the four Third Ward precincts, with Hangartner earning wins in Precincts 3B and 3D and Straley winning 3A and 3C. Hangartner had his largest plurality in Precinct 4D, winning there by 44 votes (111-67). Straley’s largest plurality was a 10-vote margin in Precinct 2B (30-20).

Van Wert County Elections Director Linda Stutz called Tuesday’s 1,370-vote countywide turnout “the lowest I’ve seen in my 27 years.”

In Van Wert, First Ward had the lowest voter turnout, while Precinct 1B was the lowest of all, with only 7.07 percent of its 467 registered voters actually voting in this election. Precinct 1A was next, with 7.65 percent of its 510 registered voters going to the polls, while the third First Ward precinct, 1D, had 9.09 percent of its 429 voters cast a ballot in May.

Precinct 4D had the highest total — and highest percentage — voter turnout, with 222 of its 716 registered voters casting ballots (31.01 percent).

One Delphos precinct (3C) had only 4.22 percent of its voters cast ballot in the election, with just 19 of 450 registered voters turning out.