The Washington County Public Library main branch is shown at 615 Fifth St. in Marietta. The library has a wide range of services available to the community. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

MARIETTA – Ohioans will vote in the 2026 primary on Tuesday, with four levies on Washington County ballots this spring.

The Washington County Board of Developmental Disabilities is seeking to collect $2,167,671 annually at a rate not exceeding 0.95 mill for each $1 of taxable value. This amounts to $33 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value for a period of five years, first due in 2027, according to the Washington County Board of Elections.

County commissioners approved placing the levy back on the ballot, at a reduced rate, after it failed in the November election with 52.84% of voters opposed.

WCBDD Superintendent Tiffany Neill said if the levy passed it would sustain the services they offer but wouldn’t be enough to build any new services or reestablish services to school-age students.

“The money would help us meet our Medicaid waiver match which supports funding the costs of care for our individuals,” said Neill.

The Washington County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ replacement levy will appear on the general election ballot. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

She said they cover a portion of the cost of care for about 200 individuals.

Neill said the levy would cover the costs of a mandated service. She said the board hasn’t asked for a levy in over 20 years but the cost of living has gone up while their revenue remained the same.

“Nobody can live on money that’s 23 years old, and Medicaid has increased their cost of services,” she said.

Neill said if passed, the levy would also continue early intervention services for birth through age 3. Neill said although early intervention services aren’t state mandated, the board deems it as a vital service.

She said since the levy didn’t pass in November, they’ve had to reduce the number of staff from nine to five specialists, who work in specific areas of care to meet the needs of the individuals.

“A lot of our individuals require 24/7 care and if we’re unable to provide that, we’re talking about quality of life for these individuals, and if that funding isn’t there, we’re looking at even more limited staffing and resources,” said Neill. “This is about people’s lives and this gives quality of life and meaning to them.”

Also on the ballot Tuesday is a renewal levy for the Washington County Public Library that would collect $1,140,880 annually at a rate not exceeding 0.5 mill for each $1 of taxable value. This amounts to $18 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value for a period of 10 years commencing in 2026 first due in 2027.

The levy for the public library appeared on the ballot in November and passed, but the votes could not be counted due to a procedural error and missing information.

A new levy is proposed for the East Muskingum Fire District that would collect $290,460 annually at a rate not exceeding 2 mills for each $1 of taxable value. This amounts to $70 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value for a period of five years commencing in 2026, first due in 2027.

The East Muskingum Fire District serves the communities of Devola and Muskingum Township East.

According to the Devola Volunteer Fire Company website, the levy would extend paid EMS coverage through weekend daytime hours.

The current paid hours are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with volunteers responding to emergencies on the weekends.

If passed, the levy would pay staff during regular hours on the weekends, improve medical emergency response times and establish consistent EMS availability for the community, according to the fire department website. It would also reduce wait times for emergency care and establish a more dependable EMS system that would serve the community in a timely manner, it said.

Another new levy in Marietta Township would collect $157,500 annually at a rate not exceeding 1 mill for each $1 of taxable value. This amounts to $35 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value for a period of five years commencing in 2026, first due in the calendar year 2027.

According to the board of elections, the levy would be for the purpose of maintaining and providing fire emergency services.

Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day at polling locations specified on the Washington County Board of Elections website.

Early voting hours are today and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. at the Board of Elections office 204 Davis Ave., Suite B.

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com

e for the purpose of maintaining and providing fire emergency services.

The polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at polling locations specified on the Washington County Board of Elections website.

Early voting hours are today and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com