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Mahoning elections board, clerk have not served suspensions over mistake
TweetBy DAVID SKOLNICK
YOUNGSTOWN
It’s been nearly a year since the Mahoning County Board of Elections voted to temporarily suspend its director and a clerk for failing to follow an internal- office policy, but neither has served even a day of suspension.
At the time of the Oct. 26, 2009, vote, election officials said they hoped the suspensions would end an investigation by the county sheriff’s office. It didn’t.
The sheriff was determining whether criminal activity occurred related to the board’s failing to send ballot language to county officials about the county sales-tax issue that was approved in November 2009.
The investigation began at the request of county Commissioners David Ludt and Anthony Traficanti and county Prosecutor Paul J. Gains, who were angry that the elections board failed to send them ballot language of a half-percent sales tax for review.
It turned out that ballot language wasn’t sent to any government entity with a tax issue on that November 2009 ballot.
For failing to follow an internal-office policy to send ballot language to those with tax issues on an upcoming ballot, the board gave Danielle O’Neill, the clerk responsible for preparing the language and mailing it to political entities, a five-day suspension without pay.
For failing to catch the mistake, the board ordered a three-day suspension without pay for Director Thomas McCabe.
McCabe receives about $63,000 annually in salary and O’Neill is paid about $36,000 in base salary annually.
Board Vice Chairman Mark Munroe said Thursday that because of the criminal investigation, the board held off on the suspensions even though he acknowledges that “what caused the suspensions [failure to follow an internal policy] did not change.”
The sheriff’s department ended the investigation without filing criminal charges.
Sheriff Randall Wellington said he concluded his investigation a short time after it was initiated in October 2009. He said no wrong-doing was found, and he didn’t share the results with board of elections officials at that time.
Munroe said the board only recently learned the investigation had concluded.
“The board will have to revisit this issue,” Munroe said. “The board issued the suspensions, and they need to be enforced. We waited because we thought there might be a connection between the suspensions and the investigation.”
Comments
maybe should wait for full story
but these folks should have served their suspensions
but where is the criticism of the board of elections itself
they ordered the suspensions
shouldnt they enforce their own orders
seems like the newspaper avoids criticizing wasko, morley. smith, and munroe
arent they responsible for running the boe
maybe the secretary of state should suspend or fire them along with the employees who don't do their jobs
No harm, no foul. Clerk made an honest mistake and it has been a long time now. I think the stress of her having to have criminal investigation and getting slammed in Bertram columns over this is more than enough punishment for God''s sake.
Oh Really,..
Director Thomas McCabe and Danielle O’Neill, the clerk should have long sense served those suspensions without pay,.. NO EXCUSE.
To include Randall Wellington admitting he concluded his investigation a short time after it and he didn’t share the results with board of elections officials is even worse,..IT WAS A PAID ACTION AND THUS GETS FILED AS A OPEN RECORD CASE DISPOSITION.
See on the heels of this Traficant fiasco it's pretty clear that McCabe and Co. does whatever the hell they want,.. HOW?
See I'm no Traficant supporter but I'm all for whats right and impartial fair treatment. Where in regards to what was communicated in regards to the signatures.I felt the excuses the board of elections were giving sounded suspect,.. AND THEY WERE.
This has gotten out of hand and those individuals need to be fired. For lacking integrity and either competence in what they're getting paid for or criminalizing it.
As well as this reeks of polls and ballot fixing and it needs to be reviewed and corrected before the forthcoming elections.
stand by my first comment
but notice a disturbing trend here
political disputes with the county prosecutor end up in criminal investigations
this seemed like a fairly minor board infraction
punishable yes but there have probably been worse episodes up there
wonder if oak hill will play out that way
will the judge see it as political instead of criminal
maybe both
but will gains indict his opponent in the next election
something to think about
Now did you think we were going to lose this ! Start the suspendsion now !
McCabe does what he wants as long as Smith and Munroe back him.
O'Neil is Belinky's sister-in-law and Belinky makes Munroe, Smith, Morley and Wasko poop in their pants.
DemoCROOKS run Mahoning County - no more needs to be said!!!
It sure is a scarry day today, not only did I understand what Nunya wrote but I also agreed with his points. Scarry indeed!
I have no idea why I used two R's, sorry.