CLINTON COUNTY — Things are looking up for Blanchester’s parks. The tax levy that appeared on Tuesday’s ballot passed in a 270 to 154 vote.

Blanchester Parks and Rec Committee member Tina Fischer said she is thankful for the support, and they’ll do all they can.

“We want to thank the community for their support, we will not disappoint you,” she said. “We will be accountable and open to the community in every way possible.”

Fischer said the top priority is to finish the concession stand at the park. She also hopes to re-hire someone to maintain the park.

Of the five Blanchester council candidates, Gary Bauer, Lori Byrom, Chad Hollon and Reilly Hopkins advance to the general election in November. They’ll go up against Independent candidates James Constable, Karen Davidson, Don Gephart and Tyler McCollister.

Sabina levy passes

The Village of Sabina’s 0.5 percent municipal income tax for the purpose of maintaining police services passed 178 to 110 (62 percent for and 38 percent against).

Sabina Mayor Dean K. Hawk said Tuesday night he wanted to say thanks to the citizens for voting for the tax, and he gave a special thanks for all the people who worked on the campaign to pass the levy. A lot of work was done in the campaign in support of the police levy, he added.

“We appreciate the citizens’ confidence in us, and we’ll certainly do our best to spend the money appropriately and do what’s right for Sabina,” said the mayor.

Hawk previously had said if the proposed levy did not pass this spring, Village of Sabina officials “would likely need to reduce the police staff to two, possibly three [full-time officers].”

Funding of the Sabina Police Department was reduced $44,200 (or 13.2 percent) from 2015 to 2016, according to the mayor.

Sabina Fiscal Officer Nancy L. Cornell recently said if it weren’t for a $200,000 transfer of money from the town’s Sewer Sanitation Reserve Emergency Fund to the General Fund — a move authorized by the Clinton County Common Pleas Court in late January 2017 — the police force already would have been smaller.

There are four full-time officers including the chief, a part-time paid officer who does not receive benefits, and three auxiliary officers, said Sabina Police Chief Keynon Young.

Health levy passes

Countywide, voters gave strong support to a proposed renewal of a Clinton County Combined Health District 0.5-mill levy. The vote was 2,680 in favor, and 691 opposed (79.5 percent for and 20.5 percent against).

The property tax provides 28 percent of the Clinton County Health District’s budget revenue.

As a renewal, there will not be a tax increase for the county’s real estate owners.

A current residential homeowner of a $100,000 market value parcel will pay $12.56 per year for the levy, according to the Clinton County Auditor’s Office. The levy is estimated to generate $410,862 annually in gross tax revenues, said Deputy Auditor Logan M. Bailey.

Among the array of services provided by Clinton County Health District staffers, the one that receives the most levy funds is public health nursing services, said Clinton County Health Commissioner Pam Walker-Bauer.