YOUNGSTOWN – Voters throughout Mahoning County will be asked to consider 21 tax issues, including four seeking new money, on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The additional levy requests are in Austintown, Jackson, Springfield and Washingtonville.

Austintown voters in November 2024 rejected a 2.4-mill police levy by a margin of 52% to 48% that would have raised $2.6 million annually. Trustees approved a lower 2.22-mill levy for the upcoming ballot to raise $2,099,399 annually for five years.

The levies in Jackson and Springfield are both for fire services and are for a continuous period of time, meaning that if approved during the Nov. 4 election, the taxes are permanent and never again need voter approval.

The 4.9-mill levy in Jackson would raise $725,981 annually while Springfield’s 3.5-mill levy would raise $851,668 annually.

Washingtonville’s 2.5-mill, five-year levy would raise $26,100 annually for police services.

Of the 18 tax issues on the November 2024 ballot, four were for new taxes with three of those rejected by voters. There were 22 tax issues considered by voters in November 2023 with 15 asking for new money. Of those 15, only six passed.

In addition to tax issues, those running for township trustees, boards of education and council seats in Canfield, Beloit, Craig Beach, Lowellville, New Middletown and Sebring had to file by Wednesday’s deadline with the Mahoning County Board of Elections. The board is scheduled to meet Aug. 18 to certify candidates and issues to the ballot.

Wednesday’s deadline did not apply to candidates who previously filed for municipal elections in Youngstown, Struthers, Campbell and the village of Poland. They will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Among the 21 tax issues on the Nov. 4 ballot are two for the entire county.

One is a 1-mill, 5-year renewal levy for senior citizens services to raise $4,455,030 annually and the other is a 3-mill levy for a continuous period of time to raise $12,690,741 annually for the county board of developmental disabilities. The latter is by far the largest tax issue on the Nov. 4 ballot in Mahoning County.

The developmental disabilities levy was originally approved in 2001 and has been renewed four times by voters.

The board of developmental disabilities also has a 2-mill levy, initially passed more than 30 years ago, that raises about $5.9 million annually and is up for renewal next year.

There will be three renewal levies in front of New Middletown voters and two renewal levies each in Beaver, Beloit, and the school districts of Austintown and Boardman.

CANDIDATES

Six candidates filed for two trustee seats in Austintown. That included incumbents Robert Santos and Monica Deavers as well as Jim Davis, a former trustee who lost a 2021 reelection bid; Michael Rapovy, a former Youngstown councilman who finished last in the 2019 Austintown trustees race; Emily A. Ciccone, who lost an Ohio House race last year; and Carl L. Clay, who owns Dirt Is Us Detailing and Accessories.

There are seven candidates running for the two trustee positions in Poland. Incumbent Joanne Wollet didn’t file, but incumbent Edward R. Kempers did.

Among the other candidates are Larry Dinopoulos, a Poland school board member; Michael Zembower Jr., a former Poland village councilman who resigned in February after moving to the township; Tracy Kaschak, who was named Poland teacher of the year earlier this year by the Poland Schools Foundation; Steve Massarelli; and Jennifer Ciccone, who lost a 2023 election for Struthers Municipal Court judge and a 2024 election for Mahoning County commissioner. Ciccone is currently the county’s deputy clerk of courts and was disqualified earlier this year from being an attorney in county domestic relations court because of her position.

There are contested township trustee races in Boardman, Canfield, Coitsville, Ellsworth and Green. There are only two candidates running for two trustee spots in Beaver, Berlin, Goshen, Jackson, Milton and Sebring. There are three seats available in Smith with the three incumbents seeking those positions.

The race with the most candidates is the West Branch school board. Ten candidates, including the incumbents, filed for three four-year terms on the board. But only Deborah J. Helm filed for the unexpired seat she holds on the West Branch board.

There are four seats on the village council in Lowellville on the ballot with three candidates filing.

Also, three candidates filed for the four available seats on Sebring council.

Not enough candidates filed for the boards of education in Struthers, Sebring and Western Reserve school districts.

Aug. 25 is the write-in deadline.

Write-in candidates already filed for positions in the cities of Youngstown, Struthers and Campbell.