By Karen Gutierrez
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LUDLOW - Today's school-tax election is so heated that a Ludlow man has been accused of trying to buy a citizen's vote for a 12-pack of beer, police say. The man denies the charge.

Ed Lucas, an opponent of a proposed tax increase to fund Ludlow Schools. (Patrick Reddy photo)

Officer James Tucker said in an affidavit that Edward C. Lucas is accused of offering beer for a no vote to a nickel increase in school property taxes. He threatened to egg the other man's house and slash his tires if he voted yes, Tucker said.

The citizen was an 18-year-old student at Ludlow High School. Word of the encounter got to Superintendent Elizabeth Grause, who complained to police.

Lucas, 40, was arrested Friday and released on bond Saturday.

"I don't know the boy, and that was not exactly what was said," Lucas said. "He was with my neighbors, and we were all joking about the school thing. I was trying to tell him, 'You don't own property, so you don't know how hard this is going to be for people.'

"I said, 'I hope it doesn't go through, and if it doesn't, I'm going to have a big beer party.'"

Police dispute that account in court records. On Monday, Ludlow Chief Ray Murphy declined to comment, saying he is still investigating whether others may have broken election laws.

Sheriff's deputies will be on the lookout today for any improprieties at the four polling places.

The tax increase would add about $43 a year to the tax bill for a $75,800 home.

It would generate about $75,000 a year and could be used only for school construction. With the revenue, district officials want to issue bonds for renovations and put a new roof on the elementary school.

"This is a one-time opportunity the legislature gave us because they knew they weren't going to be fully funding education," said Grause.

The school board approved the tax last year, but Ludlow citizens signed a petition to get it on the ballot. Timmy Feldhaus, an attorney opposed to the increase, said one goal was to give voters a voice in the process. He said Lucas is not part of that group.

"We don't want to create enemies," Feldhaus said.

But in a small town where a tax increase for fire services took residents by surprise last year, the school issue has divided neighbors.

Over the weekend, volunteers passed out literature in support of the tax.

Meanwhile, Lucas said he visited three businesses last week and asked them to remove signs in favor of the tax.

All the businesspeople removed their signs as Lucas watched. Afterwards, he gave one of them a small reward, he said. "I pulled three, 1-dollar bills out of my pocket - that's all I had - and said, 'Here, buy yourself some lunch,'" Lucas said. "You can't buy anybody for three dollars."

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