Marijuana Issue Set To Be on Bellaire Ballots
The Belmont County Board of Elections welcomed two members of “Sensible Bellaire” — a group promoting a marijuana initiative on the November Ballot — to its meeting this week.
If passed, the issue would lower the penalty for marijuana possession in the village to the lowest level allowed by state law.
Sensible Bellaire spokesman Bill Schmitt was in attendance to discuss proposed ballot wording for the issue. The group does have the required number of valid signatures to have it placed on the November general election ballot, but in question was the wording proposed by the group.
County Prosecutor Dan Fry — given jurisdiction in the matter by Ohio Secretary of State Mike DeWine — ruled the current language of the initiative was not impartial as required.
The board of elections scripted an alternative wording option. The “Sensible Bellaire” representatives agreed to the change.
In other matters, board director Bill Shubat said plans are progressing well for the November general election.
Shubat noted that two school levies will be on the November ballot. Bellaire school officials are seeking a 3-mill levy while a Jefferson JVS levy will overlap into a few Belmont County precincts.
Other issues on the general election ballot are: a 5-mill Martins Ferry police levy; village of Belmont 2-mill replacement levy for current operating expenses; village of Powhatan Point 5-mill fire department replacement levy; Kirkwood Township cemetery tax levy; Pease Township electric aggregation resolution; Pease Township gas aggregation resolution; Mead Township 1-mill road and bridge levy; Richland Township electric aggregation resolution; Richland Township gas aggregation resolution; Warren Township electric aggregation resolution; and Warren Township gas aggregation resolution.
Two county-wide issues in November are a 1-mill Senior Services levy and a 1-mill Belmont County 911 renewal levy.
The ballot also includes a 2.5-mill Eastern Ohio Regional Transit Authority levy; a 5-mill York Township fire levy; Precinct 43 has a beer, wine and mixed beverage local option while Precinct 122 has a sale of spirituous liquor local option.
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