Election Night In The Region

Incumbent Pioneer Mayor, Ed Kidston gets re-elected in a tight race. By a 15-vote margin, Kidston earned another term 243 to 228. He has served as Pioneer mayor for the past 20 years. As president of Artesian of Pioneer, Kidston last summer announced a plan to drill into the aquifer and sell its water to entities outside the county, which sparked widespread opposition from Williams County residents and at least 18 governmental jurisdictions.
Two of three campaigning for a spot on the Bryan City Schools Board of Education are elected. Dustin Schlachter and Ben Camarillo finished first and second. With board president and veteran member, Cindra Keeler not seeking re-election, Schlachter and Camarillo will join a relatively new corps of board members including Scott Benedict, Mike Stockman and Deb Opdycke.
Edon Northwest Local Schools had a levy pass by a margin of 432 to 307. It enacts a renewal of a 1 percent tax on earned income for a period of five years. The measure was originally passed in May 2015 and took effect in 2016. It was set to expire Dec. 31, 2020. The tax generates around $450,000 dollars annually. The money goes directly into the district’s general fund and towards operating costs, such as teacher salaries.
Central Local Schools asked its voters to aid it in maintaining its existing school facilities, some of the oldest in the region, with a 10-year, 0.5 percent tax on income…and they came through. The measure was passed by a 811 to 578 vote margin in Defiance County Districts and 33 to 29 in Williams County. Several levy efforts originally aimed at building new facilities over the past several years failed. Officials say they are very excited about this result.