A 1 percent earnings tax to provide village services in Blanchester lost with 58.5 percent of voters opposed.

The vote totals were 607 against, and 430 for.

In an election preview article, Blanchester Mayor John Carman said he believes the tax, if approved, would help the village attract business, continue providing its services to residents and avoid fiscal distress.

“We need this earnings tax in order to continue to provide our residents with 24/7 police coverage, improved infrastructure while providing a greater opportunity to draw new businesses to Blanchester,” Carman has said.

“Since 2008, we have seen our revenue decrease by nearly 49 percent,” Carman stated previously.

In Sabina, Dean Hawk was elected mayor with 82 percent of the votes; James Mongold and Michael W. Walls were the top two vote-getters for two available seats on Sabina Village Council; and a proposal to zone the village was defeated with 88 percent of the votes against zoning.

On Tuesday night, Hawk told the News Journal he just wanted to thank everyone for their help in running for mayor. he said he is planning to have a celebration.

Hawk, who is 79, served on council seven years before he became the mayor this year when David Michael resigned.

Hawk on Tuesday night defeated William C. “Bill” Lewis, who will remain on village council.

The four candidates for Sabina Village Council were incumbent Michael W. Walls, James Mongold, Gary L. Goodman and Abraham M. Arnold.

In an election preview article, Mongold said one big challenge for the town is working to get business there. Government and business have to work together for a municipality to do well, he said, and “in a small town like ours, it’s critical. Without business and employment opportunities, it’s difficult to maintain population.”

Another challenge, he said, is that Sabina increasingly has an issue with heroin.

In an election preview article, Walls said one big challenge for Sabina is to get business to come to town “and we on council need to try and bring those businesses to Sabina.” He said, like the mayor, he wants to entice people traveling through Sabina on their way to work in Wilmington or Washington Court House to shop in Sabina.

A second challenge, according to Walls, is a need to keep working on the water and sewer infrastructures plus streets projects “whenever financially feasible.”

The proposal to zone the village was an outcome of an initiative petition that citizens circulated around town. Supporters said the zoning is a simple, basic type of zoning that would provide guidelines so that land there can be used in a better way overall. Opponents said the proposed zoning is not so pure and simple, and contains provisions they found concerning.

In the Wilmington school district, Kevin Snarr led the polls with 3,054 votes or 41 percent. Michael Flanigan received 2,495 votes or 34 percent. Ken Farris had 1,837 votes or 25 percent. Two seats were available.

In the Blanchester school district, Todd Bandow led the polls with 1,098 votes, or 39 percent. John Panetta received 994 votes, or 35 percent. Keith Gibson had 718 votes, or 26 percent. Two seats were available.

In the Clinton-Massie school district, Christopher Harrison led the polls in the Clinton County part of the school district at 1,666 votes or 74 percent. Due to two candidates for the school board race being write-in candidates and not being listed on the ballot by name, the Wilmington News Journal could not get exact results for them at presstime. There were 583 write-in votes, or 26 percent of the ballots cast. Two seats were available, so Harrison and one of the write-in candidates will serve on the board of education.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768 or on Twitter @GHuffenberger. Reach Dylanne Petros at 937-382-2574, ext. 2514, or on Twitter @DylannePetros.