DaytonDailyNews.com

The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Twp. merger study will be on the ballot in November.

Tracy Smith, director of the Greene County Board of Elections, said Monday, May 12 that his office has validated and counted the signatures on the petition turned in last week.

Smith said the group backing the merger study had 497 valid signatures in Bellbrook, where it needed 320, and had 414 valid signatures in Sugarcreek Twp., where it needed 341.

If voters of both jurisdictions approve the merger study in November, a commission of Bellbrook and Sugarcreek Twp. representatives would have two years to come up with actual merger language, which voters could then approve or reject on the 2010 ballot.

This fall, anyone who votes in favor of the study will immediately be prompted to vote for five people to serve on the commission. Bellbrook residents would vote for five Bellbrook representatives, and Sugarcreek Twp. voters would pick five township representatives.

Those candidates are:

Bellbrook: Arthur Aaronson, Bill Berry, Daniel A. Brown, Tom Frantz, Bob Gooding, Linda Hummel, Robert Middlestetter, Mike Shank, Sam Staley and Christine Tieman.

Sugarcreek Twp.: Howard Ackerman, Kirk Barrett, Bob Billett, Ron Folkerth, Steve Foreman, Joan Gallagher, Donna M. Hellmann, Jeffrey John, Bill Schieman and Charles Schwegman.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2278 or jkelley@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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