Also on the ballot will be contested races for Big Walnut school board and Genoa Township trustees. All Sunbury and Galena village council candidates are unopposed.

Big Walnut Schools will have a five-year, 6.7-mill operating levy on the ballot. If passed, it would raise $2.1-million in its first year. Collection would begin January 2010.

The levy would raise $4.2-million per school year for the second through fourth years. For the levy's final year, $2.1-million would be collected.

The recession has affected property and income taxes, two large sources of revenue for the district, treasurer Ben Streby has said.

The district received about $1.3-million less than originally projected at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. That number includes $535,663 less than initially estimated in real estate property taxes, $363,506 less in income taxes, $293,220 less in personal property taxes and $103,094 less in state aid.

The district already has saved nearly $2-million this fiscal year through cuts, according to district officials. These cuts include teachers, administrators, custodians, bus drivers, overtime pay and pay freezes for administrators.

The levy would cost $234.50 per year for a person with a home valued at $100,000.

If the levy fails, the board of education would need to cut about $3-million from the 2010-2011 operating budget, according to district officials. The cuts would include additional teachers, secretaries, bus drivers, custodians, aides, administrators and cafeteria staff.

Community Library in Sunbury is asking for a 1-mill, five-year operating levy. If approved, it will cost residents $30.63 annually per $100,000 of home valuation, said library director Chauncey Montgomery.

"That's $2.55 a month," Montgomery said.

This is the first time the library has asked for a levy since its inception in 1944, said Jim Coffield, who co-chairs the levy's campaign.

"The library receives 95 percent of its funding from the state's Public Library Fund, which is funded through state tax revenue," Montgomery said.

The last increase the library saw in its funding was 2001, Montgomery added.

This year, the recession resulted in a 20-percent loss in state tax revenue for the library. In addition, the state reduced library funding by 11 percent, resulting in a 31-percent total loss in funding for the library, he said.

"For 2010, based on information provided by the Ohio Library Council, we are projecting another 11-percent loss in revenue. By the end of 2010, we will be receiving 34 percent less revenue than we were in 2001," Montgomery said.

Big Walnut school board members Verna Hines and Ron Hobelman are running against four challengers, Allison Fagan, Steven Krupp, Robert Kuederle and Pamula Lillie. Three will be elected.

Four candidates are competing for two Genoa Township trustee seats.

Current trustee Gerry Cotter is seeking re-election. The other candidates are Karl Gebhardt, Larry King and Rick Carfagna.