GALLIA COUNTY — Voters in Gallia County were in support of the only county-wide issue on Tuesday’s ballot — the levy in support of the Gallia County General Health District — according to the unofficial results provided by the Gallia County Board Elections on Tuesday evening.

While absentee ballots for 18 precincts in the county had not been counted as of 11 p.m. on Tuesday, all other precincts were reporting, and, unofficially, a total of 59.26 percent voted in favor of the replacement levy. A total of 6,461 votes were cast in favor of the issue and 4,441 were cast against it.

The 10-year replacement levy will not exceed five-tenths mill for each one dollar of valuation. This equates to five cents for each one hundred dollars of valuation. The levy will first commence in 2012 and will be first due in 2013 and will go toward providing sufficient funding to meet the needs of the general health district in Gallia County.

According to unofficial results, voters in the Village of Rio Grande were also in support of the half of a percent income tax levy increase. Funding from the levy will go directly to support the Rio Grande Police Department and Rio Grande Volunteer Fire Department.

Preliminary results indicate that voters narrowly passed the levy. A total of 95 votes were cast in favor of the levy and 92 were cast against it.

Previously, residents in Rio Grande opposed increases to the income tax for the benefit of the police department. In both November 2011 and November 2010, similar income tax increases for the sole benefit to the police department failed to pass by small margins.

The half of a percent income tax increase will be added to the one percent income tax currently in place in the village and will go toward providing wages, benefits, equipment, supplies and apparatus for the police department and fire departments in Rio Grande.

Several alcohol-related issues were also decided by voters on Tuesday evening in several precincts throughout Gallia County.

In the precinct five in the City of Gallipolis, several issues related to the sale and consumption of alcohol within the precinct were on the ballot.

With approximately 1,000 absentee ballots not yet added to the unofficial results on Tuesday evening, liquor option one in the city’s fifth precinct failed by a one vote margin, 53 against and 52 votes in favor of the issue. The option is related to the sale of beer for off-premises consumption.

The remaining eight liquor options passed by narrow margins, according to results posted prior to press time.

In Green Township, precinct one, residents voted down a local option that would have allowed the Sunday sale of wine and mixed beverages at the carry out/grocery store located at 3749 Jackson Pike.

In the sixth precinct in Green Township, voters narrowly defeated an option to allow the sale of beer, wine and mixed beverages at the Par Mar store located at 2943 Ohio 141. A total of 153 votes were cast against the option, while 141 votes were cast in favor of it.

Unofficial results posted by the board of elections at press time also indicate a tie in relation to the option that would allow Sunday beer sales between 10 a.m. and midnight each Sunday at the Par Mar store. The option, if passed, would have only been in effect if the liquor permits for the convenience store had been approved by voters on Tuesday.

In Huntington precinct, voters approved two local options related to the sale of alcohol at the Par Mar store located on Ohio 160 in Vinton.

According to unofficial results, a total of 174 ballots were cast in favor of allowing the sale of beer, wine and mixed beverages at the convenience store. A total of 128 ballots were cast against the option.

Similarly, the option to allow Sunday beer sales at the store between the hours of 10 a.m and midnight was also passed by voters in Vinton.

In addition to the passage of their income tax increase, voters in Rio Grande Village also approved an option that will allow the sale of beer at Winston’s Brew Thru and Deli located at 100 Ohio 325 South.

The option passed by a margin of 133 votes to 60.

On election day, voters in Gallia County were also resoundingly in favor of renewal and replacement fire levies in various precincts.

In Guyan and Ohio Townships, voters approved a replacement fire levy that will benefit the District 2 Joint Fire District. The levy, which will equate to the amount of twenty cents for each one hundred dollars of valuation will be in effect for a five-year period commencing in 2012 and first due in 2013.

The Village of Center, Raccoon Township and the Village of Rio Grande also approved a renewal of the fire levy.

The levy, which will benefit the Rio Grande Volunteer Fire Department will not exceed three-tenths mill for each one dollar of valuation or three cents for each one hundred dollars of valuation.

The levy is a five-year levy that will commence in 2013 and be first due in 2014.

Voters in Bidwell and in all three Springfield precincts also had the option of renewing a fire levy for the benefit of their fire district.

According to unofficial results, the levy passed by a margin of 949 votes in favor of the issue and 411 votes against the issue.

This renewal levy will not exceed one mill for each one dollar of valuation or ten cents for each one hundred dollars of valuation. It will commence in 2013 and will be first due in 2014.