KINGWOOD — Preston County has two levies and several local races on the ballot, as well as political committee slots to fill and state and national races.
In Preston, a total of 1,643 of the approximately 18,315 voters cast their ballots in advance.
The levies are for county schools and to support county volunteer fire departments. The five-year school levy would collect $2.42 million annually. Calculators at prestoncountyschools.com and on the Preston County Schools Facebook page allow taxpayers to estimate how much the levy would cost them.
If it passes, the school levy will be 5.71 cents per $100 assessed evaluation of Class I properties; 11.42 cents per $100 assessed evaluation of Class II properties; and 22.84 cents per $100 assessed evaluation of Class III and IV properties.
Assessed evaluation is 60 percent of the appraised value. So if, for example, an owner-occupied Class II home is appraised at $100,000, the assessed evaluation is $60,000. This property owner would pay $68.52 more per year for the levy, or $45.68 more annually, if the homeowner qualifies for the Homestead Exemption.
The levy annual expenditures, includes: General maintenance, improvements and equipment, $1.5 million; safety and security,$150,000; technology, $120,000; curricular, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, $50,000; student, staff and senior citizen athletic and fine arts admission fees, $50,000; instructional supplies and materials, $200,000; after-school, extended year, summer, virtual, mobile and alternative ed programs, $300,000; community facility use, $50,000.
The proposed fire levy is also for five years and would be used to provide, “materials and equipment for maintaining and enhancing fire department facilities, general supplies, utilities, vehicle maintenance and expenses and insurance expenses.”
No less than 10 percent of the funds received by each department must be used to train and educate firefighters.
It will collect an estimated $499,678 annually but is not to exceed $550,000 annually. If the amount that would be collected at the proposed levy rate would bring in more than $550,000 a year, the levy rate is to be reduced to keep it under that cap.
Of the money collected, $15,000 is to be reserved annually to fund the Preston County Fire Association. The rest will be divided equally among the 12 volunteer fire departments.
The proposed levy by property class is: Class I, 1.18 cents per $100 of assessed evaluation of property; Class II, 2.36 cents per $100 of assessed evaluation; Class III and IV, 4.72 cents per $100 of assessed evaluation.
The fire levy would be $14.16 per year on an owner-occupied Class II home appraised at $100,000, unless the owner qualified for the Homestead Exemption. Then it would be $9.44 per year.
Local races
Three races on the Preston ballot will be decided today: the board of education, circuit judge unexpired term and magistrate unexpired term. All three are nonpartisan.
Three seats are open on the board. Seeking them are incumbents Jack Keim and Robert “Mac” McCrum, as well as Ron Marthey, Alan Rogers and Jeff Zigray.
Two candidates are seeking the magistrate spot: P.L. Grimm, who was appointed to fill in for the time between Magistrate Lew Ault’s retirement and the election, and Rhonda Sypolt, who also ran in 2016.
Four attorneys are seeking the unexpired term of Judge Lawrance Miller Jr., who retired. They are Lisa Hyre, Steve Shaffer, Mel Snyder and Buddy Turner.
One Preston Commission seat is up for grabs, and incumbent Craig Jennings chose not to seek re-election. Five Republicans are seeking the nomination: Karen Bright, Art Lipscomb, Tracy Polce, Samantha Stone and Lucas Tatham.
Republican Anne Armstrong’s name is on the ballot, but she has withdrawn from the race.
John Crippin is the only Democrat running for county commissioner and will square off against the winning Republican in November.
