MAHONING BOARD OF ELECTIONS Staff members receive pay raises

The board overruled a Republican challenge.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Board of Elections staff members are working today with the knowledge their next pay envelopes will be a little fatter.
The Mahoning County Board of Elections gave full-time staff members an across-the-board 3-percent raise Monday, effective in the next pay period. The board met Monday in advance of today's primary election.
The board also voted to pay part-time employees based on their time of service. Part-time employees may now be paid either $7, $8 or $9 per hour.
Director Thomas McCabe recommended that full-time staff members receive raises. He said part-time employees should be compensated so people who have devoted years of service during elections are paid more than people with far less service.
McCabe had sought compensation for staff members who have had one 3-percent raise over the past five years. He said he was not seeking a pay raise for himself.
After a brief executive session, however, the board voted that the across-the-board increase will also include McCabe and Joyce Kale-Pesta, deputy director.
Republican challenge
The board voted to overrule a challenge by the Ohio Republican Party. Republicans said the local Democrats scheduled to witness proceedings tonight at the board of elections as votes are tabulated did not properly complete the forms as required by the Ohio Secretary of State.
Republicans said the witnesses submitted a list of names attached to the form instead of actually filling out the form, and that the lists did not state where the witnesses would be serving.
McCabe said witnesses serve only at the board of elections.
"We want people to view the process," McCabe said. "We have nothing to hide."
"We want to be as open as possible," board member Michael Morley added. Morley made the motion to "respectfully overrule" the objection, which the board did unanimously, with a 4-0 vote.
McCabe explained that challengers serve at various polling places to challenge voters at the polls, and a successful challenge could result in a voter at a polling place voting by provisional ballot.
He said the standard practice is that witnesses serve at the board of elections only, because they don't have contact with voters at the polls. Witnesses work after the polls close to observe the tabulation process, he said.
Member Mark Munroe said with the general election coming in November, both Republicans and Democrats need to exercise caution in filling out required forms properly.
"We don't want to leave doors open for challenges and appeals," Morley said.
McCabe declared the staff ready for today's election. Munroe lauded the efforts of the staff.
"We were really under the gun because we were the last in the county to get our equipment," he said.
tullis@vindy.com