MARTINS FERRY – Tuesday will see Ohio residents flock to the polls from the 2026 primary election. Polls will open in the Buckeye State at 6:30 a.m. that day and close at 7:30 p.m.

In Belmont County, a number of seats are up for grabs.

Republican Belmont County Commissioner Jerry Echemann’s seat is up for grabs in the election. Echemann announced he would not be running and will be retiring after his term expires at the end of 2026.

Former four-term Belmont County Commissioner Chuck Probst of Bridgeport, former Belmont County transportation administrator for the Ohio Department of Transportation David Schafer of Bethesda, and DeFelice Pizza Brothers owner Dominic DeFelice of Shadyside are all looking to fill Echemann’s seat in the Republican primary.

On the Democrats’ side, Franklin Cecil Shaffer Jr. of Bellaire will be running unopposed.

Republicans will have three candidates competing for the Belmont County Auditor’s job. Incumbent Cindi L. Henry of St. Clairsville, former Shadyside village council member Nick Ferrelli, and former Belmont County Commissioner Josh Meyer of Bellaire will face off to become the county’s auditor.

Two judgeships in the Belmont County Court of Common Pleas are on the ballot. Current Judge Chris Berhalter of Martins Ferry is running unopposed for one seat, while current Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan of Bellaire and Michael P. McCormick of Bethesda will face off. In the Court of Common Pleas Probate Division, current Judge Albert E. Davies is running unopposed.

Various levies are on the ballot in Belmont County.

The Union Local School District will be asking district residents to pass a five-year, 3-mill permanent improvement levy that would cost the average property owner roughly $160 a year or $13 a month. Superintendent Zac Shutler previously said that the levy would help upgrade and maintain the high school and elementary buildings that opened in the late 1990s, as well as the middle school, which was built in 1959. The school needs to fix the pipes, electrical outlets, roofs that are leaking and sidewalks.

A 0.5-mill renewal levy for Memorial Park will be on the ballot for St. Clairsville and Richland Township. Park board member Conrad Heydle said the original levy was passed in 2007, and since then, it has been renewed every five years by voters.

“Since we passed the levy last time, we’ve completely refurbished the Allen Pool bathhouse. The men’s and women’s sides now have new restrooms, new changing booths, and new showers. That was completely redone. That was our big project,” Heydle said. “At the JC shelter, we had a ceiling put in and new picnic tables. Then, next to the JC shelter, there was an older, smaller playground where we were able to install new equipment.”

Shadyside residents will see a 1.35-mill levy on the ballot for the village’s general fund. If passed, the levy will be used for the village’s general fund. It will cost property owners $47 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s assessed value for five years.

“Basically it’s there to help fund the operations of the village. It can be used for purchasing equipment, hiring people, payroll, paying for benefits and can fund all of the other funds,” village solicitor Kelly Kotur said. “If the village has money allocated to the water and sewer department, it can’t take money out of water and sewer and put it into something else. You can always take money from the general fund and put it in any of the other funds.”

She added that the general fund is crucial to the village because it supports all of its functions.

Martins Ferry residents will vote to renew the city’s 5-mill police levy, a measure officials say is essential to maintaining current staffing levels and emergency response without increasing taxes.

Originally approved by voters and last renewed in 2020, generates about $300,000 annually and is dedicated solely to police department salaries. Police Chief Vince West said the funding plays a critical role in easing pressure on the city’s General Fund.

The 5-mill levy is for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $115 for each $100,000.

If the levy is not renewed, officials warn the department could face immediate financial strain, potentially leading to staffing reductions and diminished service levels, and police funding would have to be shifted to the General Fund, potentially affecting other city services such as streets, code enforcement and cemetery operations.