MAHONING COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS Agency reshuffles several top workers

A 17-year worker was named deputy director and given a hefty raise.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Board of Elections reshuffled its top officials and promoted a longtime clerk to deputy director, giving her a 53 percent raise in the process.
The board appointed Thomas McCabe, a Republican who's served as deputy director for six years, as its director Tuesday.
McCabe's annual salary increased from $58,000 to $62,000 with the promotion. That is the annual salary the board paid to Michael V. Sciortino, a Democrat who resigned about two weeks ago after being appointed county auditor.
Replacing McCabe as deputy director is Joyce Kale Pesta, a 17-year elections board employee, who's spent the past 10 years as the board's secretary.
Before joining the elections board, Pesta spent 15 years as secretary to the Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman.
Will have to move
Pesta, who's lived in Liberty for about 14 years, will be required to move to Mahoning County by the end of the year as a condition of her job. Pesta said she's moving this weekend to a Boardman apartment.
Pesta's annual salary increased from $34,000 as a clerk to $52,000 as deputy director.
McCabe made $58,000 annually in the position.
Mark Munroe, who stepped down Tuesday as board chairman, said Pesta deserves the pay increase because of her years of experience and because she moved to a management position with more responsibilities.
"This is an entirely new job," he said. "We looked at the salaries of deputy directors in other counties and this is comparable."
Mahoning Democratic Chairwoman Lisa Antonini recommended Pesta for the position.
Traditionally, the Mahoning elections board relies on the recommendation of the head of the county Democratic party on Democratic vacancies and the county Republican chairman for Republican vacancies at the board, Munroe said.
With Pesta's promotion and the departure a few months ago of Anthony Saadey, there are two Democratic clerk vacancies at the election board.
Munroe is remaining on the board, but had to resign as chairman, a post he held for six years. State law requires the director and chairman of county election boards to be from different political parties.
The board also elected Democrat Robert Wasko as its chairman, and Munroe as vice chairman.
The four-man board, two Democrats and two Republicans, unanimously approved all of the appointments.
skolnick@vindy.com