May 10, 2007

By Diane Chiddister

In the May 8 election, the Yellow Springs schools levy passed handily, the Greene County Career Center levy just missed, and sitting Xenia Municipal Court Judge Susan Goldie lost.

According to the Board of Election results available Tuesday night on its Website, 68 percent of those who voted, or 769 voters, cast ballots for the renewal emergency levy for Yellow Springs Exempted Village Schools. Voting against the levy were 326 voters, or 31 percent, with all four precincts reporting. The total number of votes cast was 1,035.

Precinct 440 voters, on the north edge of town, cast 152 votes, or 62.3 percent, for the levy, and 92 votes, or 37.70 percent, against; Precinct 441 voters, in the west center, cast 128 votes, or 65.98 percent, for the levy and 66 votes, or 34.02 percent, against; Precinct 442 voters, in the center of town, cast 146 votes, or 80.66 percent, for the levy and 35 votes, or 19.34 percent, against; and Precinct 443 voters, on the south edge of town, cast 195 votes, or 72.49 percent, for the levy, and 74 votes, or 27.51 percent, against.

The three-year 9.4 mill renewal emergency levy, on the ballot as Issue 4, will provide the schools $1,060,000 annually, or about 15 percent of the district’s total budget. That amount equals the salaries and benefits of 14 teachers, or 25 percent of the teaching staff.

The emergency levy was first passed in 1999 for 10.4 mills and was passed again in 2003 for 10.1 mills.

The Greene County Joint Vocational School levy, or Issue 5, lost in Greene County in a close race. In Greene County, 9,066 voters cast ballots against the levy, while 8,898 voters voted for it.

In Yellow Springs, voters cast a greater percentage of favorable ballots. They favored the levy by more than two to one, with 638 local voters saying yes to the levy, and 250 voters saying no.

The levy is a general permanent improvements replacement levy at 0.75 mills for five years. It would have replaced a levy that expired in December 2006, and could only be used for renovation, construction, technology and equipment.

Judge Susan Goldie, an 11-year veteran of Xenia Municipal Court, was unseated in the Republican primary by Bellbrook attorney Michael Murry. With 100 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Murry received 3,352 votes, while Goldie received 2,008 votes. Anyone who vote in this Republican primary election if they specified a Republican ballot.

Murry had served as Acting Xenia Municipal Court Judge and as arbitrator for the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. He is a lifelong resident of Greene County who has been in practice for 23 years. He was endorsed in the race by the Dayton Daily News.

While Goldie received endorsements from Greene County Sheriff Gene Fisher and Prosecutor Stephen Haller, she became a controversial figure who had several decisions overturned by higher courts.

In Yellow Springs, villagers also favored Murry over Goldie. Villagers who voted in the primary cast 102 votes for Murry and 70 votes for Goldie.

No Democrats are filed to run in November, so Murry will likely be the next judge for the Xenia court.

Contact: dchiddister@ysnews.com

The News acknowledges the assistance of Don Hollister from the Greene County Board of Elections.