m the November 6 local elections show Oberlin voters have passed Issue 22. Previously, the levy appeared to have failed by a mere 14 votes when the Lorain County Board of Elections published preliminary results.

Issue 22 provides for an income tax increase, coupled with a property tax decrease, for a net increase in Oberlin City Schools of $400,000 annually.

“I am honored the Oberlin community put their confidence in us, and we will do our best to do the right thing and spend their money wisely,” said recently re-elected Oberlin City School Board President and Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs of the Conservatory Marci Alegant.

The final vote count, 14,497 in favor to 1,292 against, included provisional and absentee ballots not included in the initial results.

After the initial results, local activists considered a number of measures to ensure provisional votes were counted and also consulted lawyers and compiled a list of people who voted provisionally, according to Student Senator and College first-year Luke Squire, who volunteered on the levy campaign. As it turned out, no additional action was necessary as the Board of Elections counted most of the provisional ballots without serious problems within the period prescribed by Ohio election laws.

While some tallies were changed by the Board of Elections’ official results, they were not large enough to change the outcomes of any other races. In addition to Issue 22, Oberlin voters also passed Issue 21, another tax levy for city schools.