A review of public records indicated Bellbrook’s ballot language was rejected because of a single incorrect digit, City Manager Rob Schommer said. The first tax collection year was listed as 2025 instead of 2026, which would have been a “very easy” fix, he said.
“When we reached out on the 21st of March to ask, once military and absentee voting started, why our ballot issue wasn’t on, at that time they said, ‘Well, on March 4th they voted to reject the ballot language’ in what they stated to be an executive session meeting,” Schommer said.
The board did reject Bellbrook’s ballot language in open session on March 4, but discussion of the ballot language happened in executive session.
It is unclear whether the Board of Elections was legally required to notify the city of the rejection, but Bellbrook is investigating “to see how we can make sure the residents of Bellbrook have open access to the democratic process of an election, to make a very critical decision for their community,” Schommer said.
“The only reason we were made aware is that I made a phone call inquiring, and was told they were still debating as to whose responsibility it was,” Schommer said.
Greene County Board of Elections officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment by the Dayton Daily News.
City officials said they reached out to the Greene County Board of Elections and the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office to have a “clear and concise” definition of the process — is it the board’s job to notify a taxing agency of a ballot language error, or is it on the city to immediately check the outcome of the board’s vote — but they said they were unable to get that definition from either.
“If we have to follow step by step, day by day, making requests to find out the status, that is what we’re willing and able to do,” Schommer said.
Bellbrook City Council has started the process of putting the same police and fire levy on the ballot for November. The next step is to send the measure to the Greene County Auditor.
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