By Drew Moody
drew@wvmountainsun.com
County officials said late Tuesday a mere four votes kept the $49,000
recreation center levy from passing. The final vote tally released
Tuesday night revealed 982 votes for, 660 votes against.
For a levy to pass the affirmative vote must be 60-percent plus one
vote. The vote total for the levy was 59.81 percent.
Had the measure passed it would have added less than 50-cents a month to
most citizens tax burden.
A canvas of the vote will be held November 13, according to
Commissioners Dave Hess and Reta Kight. The final count won't be
official until then.
Officials estimate it's likely 10 to 15 ballots could be affected during
Monday's examination of ballots, which could affect the outcome of that
vote.
"It's not over - we're in overtime now," said County Commissioner Larry
Chapman.
The levy passed by a simple majority in 9 of Gilmer County's 12
precincts, but not by enough of a margin to gain victory. Glenville area
voters favored the plan by a more than 2 to 1 margin. Also heavily
favoring the plan were residents of Cox's Mills and Third Run.
However, the required margin of victory was achieved in only five of 12
precincts.
Voters soundly rejected recreation center funding in Cedarville and
Stouts Mills where only about 45-percent of voter gave affirmative nod.
Tanner voters withheld their support for every levy item.
The recreation center levy was to provide much needed funding for
numerous repairs there. A portion of the money was intended for a
coordinator's salary for a new initiative partnering Gilmer County and
Glenville State College in a county-wide recreation program.
Glenville State College athletic director and Lady Pioneers head coach
Steve Harold had spent several years thinking about and refining his
ideas for such a program here.
Two events earlier in the summer led him believe this was the perfect
time to bring the project to county commissioners for consideration.
The first was Dr. Peter B. Barr being named new president of Glenville
State College. Barr said recently the program was a great example of how
the college and local government could create beneficial partnerships.
In late summer Ike and Sue Morris announced the construction of a
$10-million sports complex to benefit area citizens. The facility is
scheduled for a spring of 2007 completion.
A levy call for the recreation center failed once before by almost the
same slim margin, and that was prior to the Gilmer County Recreation
Program being added to the initiative.
It would appear the addition neither helped, nor hurt, the final tally.
There was speculation irregularities in recreation center bookkeeping
discovered during a 2003 audit and subsequent accusations of criminal
activity by a former manager may cost some support. Those allegations
were never proven in court.
Since that time several changes in both procedures and personnel have
been made and by all accounts the situation there has improved
significantly.
Levies were passed for the public library, health department, county
extension service, and the senior citizens center. The county wide
percentages are: library - 68.61 for, 31.39 against;
health department - 72.99 for, 27.01 against; extension service - 64.72
for, 35.28 against; senior citizens - 74.84 for, 25.16 against and
recreation center - 59.81 for, 40.19 against.
In other races on the Gilmer County ballot incumbents either went
unchallenged or largely trounced their opponent. Only republican Shelley
Moore Capito faced significant opposition.
She claimed her victory with a 14-percent spread over challenger Mike
Callaghan, a former assistant U.S. attorney.
Senator Robert C. Byrd, 88, was returned to the senate for his ninth
term capturing 65-percent of the vote.
Alan Mollohan survived a desperate smear campaign by the Republican
party and challenger Chris Wakim of Ohio County.
Mollohan will be serving his 13th term in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
Nationwide democrats handily took control of the House of
Representatives. With two U.S. Senate races too close to call late
Wednesday morning, it is still uncertain which party will be in control
of that body come January.
See wvmountainsun.com | 
