WOOD COUNTY | Your Wood County Ballot: Library Levy Renewal, Juvenile-Probate Judge Race and Ohio House District 75

Author: FFP Ai Bot

Wood County District Public Library in Bowling Green (file photo). Photo: Nyttend, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wood_County_District_Public_Library,_BG.jpg).

WOOD COUNTY- Wood County voters, including those in the Wood County part of Fostoria, will see several local questions on the Nov. 3 ballot. Here is a guide to three of them. Check your own sample ballot through the Wood County Board of Elections, since issues differ by precinct. The Fostoria Free Press does not endorse candidates or issues.

Wood County District Public Library levy

The Wood County District Public Library is asking voters in its district to renew a 0.8-mill levy for six years. It is a renewal, not a new tax.

• What it raises: $1,212,284 a year.
• What it costs: Because property values have risen, the effective rate is now about 0.505 mills for homes and farms. That works out to about $18 a year per $100,000 of the auditor’s market value, BG Independent News reported.
• History: First passed in 2010 and renewed in 2014 (70 percent yes) and 2020 (73 percent yes).
• Why the library says it matters: The levy made up about 38 percent of the library’s tax revenue in 2025. The rest comes from the state Public Library Fund, which Director Michael Penrod and board President Ken Frisch said is less certain now that it is a line item in the state budget.

More from the library is at wcdpl.org.

Juvenile and Probate Court judge

Judge Dave Woessner is retiring, and two attorneys are running to replace him. Both praised his work.

Megan Newlove (D) of Bowling Green has practiced for more than 25 years in juvenile, adoption, guardianship and probate matters and has served as a guardian ad litem. She is a former BGSU trustee and former Bowling Green City Council president and serves on the city’s Board of Public Utilities. She cited growing mental health needs and backed the court’s youth diversion program.

Doug Ruck (R) of Pemberville has practiced for nearly 28 years, handling estates, guardianships, adoptions, custody and delinquency cases. He has been Gibsonburg’s village solicitor for 16 years and lead counsel for Children’s Resource Center for 28. He said the court’s biggest challenge will be rising caseloads with fewer resources, and he stressed protecting the confidentiality of court records.

Ohio House District 75

The 75th District covers nearly all of Wood County, according to the official Wood County candidate list and BG Independent News.

Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R) of Perrysburg was appointed in 2019 and is in his third term. He is a Navy Reserve commander and chairs the House Small Business Committee. His background is on his Ohio House page. Ghanbari declined an interview with BG Independent News.

Rick Rettig (D) of Perrysburg is a retired teacher and school counselor and the current Perrysburg City Council president. He said he would push for public school funding, oppose non-disclosure agreements between data center companies and public officials, and hold town halls.

Early voting is underway. Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Sources

BG Independent News: Wood County District Public Library asking for a 6-year levy renewal (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://bgindependentmedia.org/wood-county-district-public-library-asking-for-a-6-year-levy-renewal/
BG Independent News: Judge candidates Newlove and Ruck (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://bgindependentmedia.org/judge-candidates-newlove-and-ruck-cite-experience-handling-juvenile-and-probate-cases/
BG Independent News: Rettig challenges incumbent Ghanbari (Oct. 22, 2026) – https://bgindependentmedia.org/rettig-challenges-incumbent-ghanbari-for-state-representative-seat/
Wood County Board of Elections – https://boe.woodcountyohio.gov/
Wood County Board of Elections: Candidate List, Nov. 3, 2026 General Election – https://boe.woodcountyohio.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1006/Candidate-List
Ohio House of Representatives: Rep. Haraz N. Ghanbari – https://ohiohouse.gov/members/haraz-n-ghanbari
Wood County District Public Library – https://www.wcdpl.org/
Featured photo: Wood County District Public Library, BG, Nyttend, public domain, Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wood_County_District_Public_Library,_BG.jpg