Election: Ralph Smith wins Ward 3 seat over incumbent, Salt rock passes levy
Ralph Smith has won the Republican primary for the third ward City Council seat over incumbent Jason Schaber.
The Salt Rock Township fire and EMS levy has passed.
The Ward 3 City Council seat was the only contested council race on the primary ballot. Smith won with 110 votes out of 172 or 64% of the vote.
Schaber will no longer be on City Council after his term ends in December.
Ralph Smith
Schaber and Smith were the only candidates to file for the seat, meaning Smith won't face opposition in the November general election.
"I think that my sole focus is going to be Third Ward," Smith said Tuesday night. "To coin a phrase from Trump, third ward first. But not to say that the other guy didn't do a his job, but he didn't do it as well as it should be done."
As the ward representative, Smith said he wants to focus on housing blight, street improvements and affordable housing.
"I really thank the voters of Third Ward for electing me and I will do my very very best to meet their expectations," Smith said.
Ralph Smith won the Republican primary for the third ward City Council seat with 64% of the vote during the primary/special election.
Schaber said he was "at peace" with the results and congratulated Smith on winning, adding he hopes Smith represents the ward and not just the Republican Party.
"I believe it came down to not my opponent, Mr. Smith and his excellent qualities that pulled out all these votes that resulted in me losing," Schaber said. "I believe it was the local Republican Party at masses got behind this individual and they drove out voters, which led to Ralph winning."
Schaber referenced the city's financial situation and outstanding audits and said with his remaining time on City Council, he hopes to use his experience to "set the city up for success."
Salt Rock Township levy
The Salt Rock Township passed its levy 38 to 16, about 70% of the votes.
The levy will to go toward supporting fire and EMS services, which recently were taken over by the township. After the levy failed to pass in 2024 by three votes, this time township officials hoped to better inform voters of what the levy was for.
The 2.5 mills levy will collect an estimated $67,000 annually. It will cost residents $59 for property valued at $100,000.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: City Council election primary ralph smith jason schaber levy salt rock
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
City council eyeing changes to Sioux City fireworks ordinance
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — During Monday night's city council meeting, the city of Sioux City approved the first reading of changes that may soon be coming to the city's fireworks ordinance. The change would have the city's ordinance line up with the state of Iowa code on fireworks, expanding the number of hours fireworks can legally be discharged in Sioux City. 'We went from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., basically they moved it up to 9 a.m. July 3rd and July 4th,' Sioux City Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore said. 'So it's just complying with the state law.' The new state law will allow fireworks to go off between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on July 3. Story continues below Top Story: 185th Air Refueling Wing welcomes new Commander with ceremony Lights & Sirens: Man denied new trial, sentenced for deadly rollover near Salix Sports: West Sioux boys soccer wins first-ever IHSAA State title with 2-1 OT win Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here If the day falls on a weekend, then additional nighttime hours may be added. Fireworks can be set off from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. on the Fourth of July On New Year's Eve into New Year's Day morning, fireworks may be set off from 9 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
an hour ago
GOP House Homeland chairman Green to retire from Congress early
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The House Homeland Security Committee's chairman, Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, announced Monday that he will retire from Congress once the House votes again on the sprawling tax and budget policy bill backed by President Donald Trump. In a statement, Green said he was offered a private sector opportunity that was 'that was too exciting to pass up' so he informed House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday of his retirement plans. The move comes more than a year after Green announced he wouldn't run again in 2024, but changed his mind when fellow Republicans implored him to stick around. Green's next election would have been in 2026. Green voted for Trump's sweeping legislation when it passed the House last month. The bill is now in the Senate's hands, and would need to return to the House for agreement on any changes. Trump wants the bill on his desk for his signature by July 4. Green's delayed departure could help with the GOP's narrow margins in the House. Republican leaders need every vote they can get on their big tax bill, which they managed to pass last month by a single vote and will have to pass again once changes are made in the Senate. They now have a 220-212 majority. 'It was the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of Tennessee in Congress," Green said. "They asked me to deliver on the conservative values and principles we all hold dear, and I did my level best to do so.' Green's seat will be decided in a special election. The timing will depend on when he leaves office. Ahead of his 2024 reelection, Green had announced that February 2024 he would not run again. The decision was revealed a day after the impeachment of then-President Joe Biden's Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. But many fellow Republicans had called on him to reconsider, and he jumped back into the running just two weeks later. He was unopposed in the Republican primary and then defeated Democrat Megan Barry — the former Nashville mayor who resigned in 2018 in scandal — by more than 21 percentage points in November 2024. Green, 60, has served since 2019 in the 7th Congressional District, which was redrawn in 2022 to include a significant portion of Nashville. The city was carved up three ways in the 2022 redistricting so Republicans could flip a Democratic district in Congress that had covered Music City, which they successfully did. Green previously served as an Army surgeon and in the state Senate and is from Montgomery County. Green flirted running for governor in 2017, but suspended his campaign after he was nominated by former President Donald Trump to become the Army secretary. He later withdrew his nomination due to criticism over his remarks about Muslims and LGBTQ+ Americans.
an hour ago
Trump heads to Fort Bragg while facing criticism for deploying military at Los Angeles protests
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump plans to speak at Fort Bragg on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army as he deploys the military in an attempt to quiet immigration protests in Los Angeles. Fort Bragg, located near Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units like the Green Berets and the Rangers are based there. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will also be at Tuesday's event, along with service members, veterans and their families. Trump has promoted the Army's anniversary as a reason to hold a military parade in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, which is also his 79th birthday. Tanks and other vehicles will roll down city streets in a reminder of how the Republican president is reshaping the armed forces after returning to the White House this year. Trump, who sees the military as a critical tool for domestic goals, has used the recent protests in Los Angeles as an opportunity to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to quell disturbances that began as protests over immigration raids. Trump has authorized the deployment of 4,000 National Guard soldiers to the city over the objections of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. About 700 Marines were also due to formally deploy to Los Angeles. California sued Trump over the deployment, with the state attorney general arguing that the president had 'trampled' the state's sovereignty. California leaders accused Trump of fanning protesters' anger, leading crowds to block off a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire. 'We're gonna have troops everywhere," Trump said over the weekend. 'We're not going to let this happen to our country.' Fort Bragg has been in the middle of a cultural tug-of-war over the military. It was named after a Confederate general, then renamed to Fort Liberty two years ago. Hegseth brought back the Bragg name, but said it was being used to honor an Army paratrooper who served in World War II.
