Residents of Monroe County rejected a levy that would have helped fund ambulance services in the region.
The Monroe County Commission has been struggling to finance an ambulance service in the county since the Union Rescue Squad ended operations in 2017. Afterwards a $100 ambulance fee was placed on landowners who had any livable structure on their property. Failed attempts to collect that fee from residents paved the way for the levy proposal.
They levy would have funded two ambulance services for countywide service at the cost of $526,600.
But voters rejected the levy by a total of 3,112 to 2,848. Earlier, Monroe County Commission President Bill Miller said that regardless of the levy result the commission would be reevaluating the situation upon the first of 2021.
Monroe County voters also rejected a liquor curfew for sales before 1 p.m. on Sundays, mainly to allow local restaurants to begin selling alcohol by 10 a.m.
In other unofficial results, Republican candidate for Monroe County Sheriff Jeff Jones won with 4,471 votes beating his Democrat counterpart Lee Carter who got 1,663 votes.
Monroe County Assessor Republican candidate Sarah F. Martin has unofficially won her bid with 4,736 votes. Democratic challenger Caroline L. Sparks received 1,468 votes.
Republican Melvin Young has unofficially won his bid for county commissioner with 3,747 votes versus Democratic candidate Dane Wills with 2,489 votes.
Prosecuting Attorney candidate Justin R. St. Clair (Democrat) won, but was running unapposed, with 4,715 votes.
Also running unopposed was Democrat David O. Holz for Monroe County Surveyor with 4,730 votes.
For the 10th Senatorial District Monroe County voters voted for Republican Jack David Woodrum with 4,501 votes over Democrat William R. Laird IV with 1,626 votes.
And for the 42nd District for the West Virginia House of Delegates, Monroe County voters chose Republicans Barry L. Bruce and Todd Longanacre (526 and 451 votes respectively) over incumbent Democratic candidates Jeff Cambpell and Cindy Lavender-Bowe (295 and 270 votes respectively).
In other races, Monroe County voters chose President Donald Trump with 5,012 votes as their choice to lead the United States and Democrat Joe Biden received 1,330 votes.
In Monroe County, Republican Shelley Moore Capito beat Democrat Paula Jean Swearengin by 4,850 votes to 1,331 votes. Monroe County stayed red choosing Carol Miller over Hilary Turner; and voting for Jim Justice over Democratic challenger Ben Salango.
