Rumors hint at recall of officials

Ohio law has no provision to recall elected officials, the elections board says.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — There are murmurs filtering through the city that some residents may attempt to recall school board members for not acting to preserve Warren G. Harding High School, a city councilman says.

In addition, two school board members say they too have heard the rumors.

The board voted unanimously Tuesday night to have its architect plan to demolish the building, except for the facade.

At the same time, the board agreed to assemble a committee to look at the possibilities of retaining other portions of the building, which will be vacated at the end of the current school year.

Students will be moving into a new high school adjacent to the old school building.

Many Harding graduates and residents have asked the board to save the facade, auditorium and some offices.

Councilman Alford Novak, D-2nd, said that during a meeting Sunday of people who feel strongly about preserving the building, including the auditorium, he heard the word recall.

“We might be looking at recall,” Novak said he was told.

Rokey Suleman, deputy director of the Trumbull County Board of Election, said Wednesday there are no provisions in state law for recalling elected officials.

Rather, he explained, those wanting to oust board members would have to present a petition to the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court and seek a trial.

The petitioners would have to show that board members are guilty of misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance to be forced from office, Suleman explained.

The standard for removing public officials is very high, he added.

Board member Patricia Limperos said Wednesday that she has heard rumblings of some people wanting to remove the board.

She joked than anyone can have her seat, noting there have been two failed efforts to remove previous board members.

“It’s a passionate issue, and there are a lot of people attached to the building,” Limperos said of the Harding decision.

Board member Shari Harrell said she too has heard the recall talk but isn’t concerned. She explained that she voted her conscience.

The last time there was an effort to remove school board members in Trumbull County was in Girard. Armed with 1,600 signatures to remove three members, trial was held before visiting Judge Mitchell Shaker in 2002.

The petitioners claimed that the three had kept from the public a health hazard at the Girard Intermediate School that made pupils and staff ill.

Judge Shaker ruled that although the board made some errors, the petitioners did not meet the statutory definition or description of gross neglect of duty.

yovich@vindy.com