Liquor Options On Ballot in Westerville. Neighboring Townships and Districts Have Levies On Their Ballots.
Westerville Liquor Options
Uptown Deli and Brew - Westerville 1-A Precinct
Address: 37–39 N. State Street (including rooftop)
#22A: Weekday sales of beer, wine, mixed beverages, and spirituous liquor
#22B: Sunday sales of wine, mixed beverages, and spirituous liquor
State Street Duchess - Westerville 3-A Precinct
Address: 796 S. State Street
#23A: Weekday sales of beer, wine, and mixed beverages
#23B: Sunday sales of wine and mixed beverages
Walmart -Westerville 5-B Precinct
Address: 50 E. Schrock Road
#24A: Weekday sales of beer, wine, and mixed beverages
#24B: Sunday sales of wine and mixed beverages
Why Vote By Precinct?
In Ohio, the sale of alcoholic beverages can be controlled at the local level through “local option” elections. These elections allow voters in specific areas, down to individual precincts, to decide whether alcohol sales should be permitted. Even if a city has prohibited alcohol sales (making it a “dry” city), individual precincts within that city can vote to allow them.
Ohio’s local-option system mandates that precincts that originally voted to uphold Prohibition must approve new liquor licenses; this means decisions on liquor options are made by the residents of each precinct, not the entire city or county. Each vote represents a community-level decision, ensuring that the area’s longstanding tradition of local control over alcohol policy remains intact, even as the broader context evolves.
Westerville became the “Dry Capitol of the World” when the Anti-Saloon League of America relocated its headquarters and printing company, American Issue Publishing Company, to the city in 1909. The League produced so much anti-alcohol material in favor of temperance and prohibition (over 40 tons of mail per month) that Westerville became the smallest town in the country with a first-class post office.
Alcohol sales were prohibited in 1859, and the city stayed dry until voters approved the sale of spirits in restaurants in Uptown and at Hoover Reservoir in 2005.
One of the defining events in Westerville’s Prohibition history was the Whiskey Wars, a violent standoff between Prohibition supporters and local saloon owners. Saloonkeeper Henry Corbin opened Corbin’s Saloon in 1875, openly challenging the town’s temperance stance. This sparked outrage, culminating in two dynamite attacks on Corbin’s Saloon. The first attack in 1875 was unsuccessful, but the second, in 1879, destroyed the saloon entirely. The attack sent a clear message and cemented Westerville’s fierce stance on Prohibition, ultimately leading to the closure of all saloons in the town.
The first beer was legally served at Michael’s Pizza on East College Ave. in 2006. Old Bag of Nails followed soon after. High Bank Distillery’s restaurant is in the now converted post office built in 1935.
Westerville-Area’s Other Ballot Issues
Blendon Township: Police Levy Back on the Ballot
Blendon Township voters will decide whether to approve a 4.48-mill property tax levy to support police services. The levy would cost about $157 annually per $100,000 of appraised property value and would be collected on a continuing basis starting in 2025.
This marks the township’s second recent attempt to increase police funding. A similar 4.53-mill levy was rejected by voters in 2024. Officials slightly reduced the rate in the current proposal to improve its chances of passing. The last successful police levy was in 2014, when voters approved a renewal with an increase.
Also on the ballot: elections for Blendon Township trustee seats.
Genoa Township: Police Levy, Trustee Race on the Ballot
Voters will decide on November 4 whether to renew and slightly increase the township’s police levy to support continued operations of the Genoa Township Police Department.
The measure proposes a renewal of 4.2 mills and an increase of 0.75 mills, bringing the total to 4.95 mills. If approved, the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $117 per year before state reimbursement, or roughly $107 after state reimbursement. If voters reject the measure, officials warn that the township could face reductions in police staffing or slower response times in the coming years.
Also on the ballot: a race for the township trustee board at‑large for a four‑year term.
Olentangy Schools: $235M Bond Issue on the Ballot
Olentangy Local School District voters will decide this November on a $235 million bond issue to fund the construction of a new elementary school and a new high school.
The proposal includes a 1.77-mill assessment—about $62 per $100,000 of appraised property value—but is structured as a no-new-millage bond, meaning it would not raise the current tax rate if approved.
The bond aims to manage the district’s continued student enrollment growth, support infrastructure expansion, and maintain financial stability.
The last time Olentangy voters approved a bond issue was in 2020, when they passed a $134.7 million package that funded two new elementary schools and a middle school.
Correction: An earlier version of The Westerville News included a reference to Genow having a fire levy on the ballot. It is a police levy.
The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.
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I thought the Genoa Fire levy passed already. I think this election has a police levy on the ballot