2 Democrats plan to leave Trumbull board of elections

The Niles mayor and a former elected official want to fill one of the seats.

By ED RUNYAN

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — The Democratic side of the Trumbull County Board of Elections will see a change in the coming months.

Democrat Barbara Katzenberger plans to resign her position Friday with two years left on her four-year term, and Democrat Sherron Platt plans to give up her seat to one of two well-known Democrats.

Christ Michelakis, of Warren, Democratic Party chairman and former county treasurer, said he is the only candidate so far who is seeking the last two years of Katzenberger’s term. The party’s executive committee elected Katzenberger to the board of elections in early 2006 to replace Nick Melfi, who retired after 10 years on the board.

Katzenberger works as a deputy in the Trumbull County treasurer’s office.

The party executive committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday at DiVieste’s Banquet Hall, 754 North River Road in Warren, to make endorsements Monday in four contested races in the March 4 primary. The committee will also at that time recommend two people for the Democratic positions to Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who makes the final appointment.

Niles Mayor Ralph Infante and former Trumbull County Clerk of Courts Margaret O’Brien of Warren have expressed interest in filling Platt’s seat, Michelakis said.

Platt, a retired schoolteacher from Newton Falls, was appointed to the board in October of 2004 and isn’t seeking reappointment, Michelakis said.

Katzenberger, of Warren, said she decided to leave the elections board to be chief deputy treasurer under appointed Treasurer Sam Lamancusa, who will be running for his own term as treasurer in the March primary.

Katzenberger said she felt it would be best to leave the elections board now, even though a 2004 opinion from the Ohio secretary of state’s office said her positions as chief deputy treasurer and elections board member were not in conflict.

Craig Bonar, of Cortland, Trumbull County Republican Party chairman, said he will seek approval from Brunner to retain his seat on the elections board for an additional four years. The terms of Bonar and Platt expire Feb. 29. Bonar owns a steel hauling business and is a representative for America Financial Securities, Inc.

Board of elections seats pay $14,316 per year.

The positions also included health care coverage until a change in state law came about allowing county commissioners to decide whether to provide the coverage.

Neither of the two most recent appointees, Katzenberger and Republican Ron Knight, were offered health insurance, said Kelly Pallante, board of elections director. She said she has asked commissioners to indicate whether health insurance will be offered to any of the new round of board members.

Commissioners have asked Jim Misocky, an assistant county prosecutor, to give the commissioners a legal opinion on the matter, but he hasn’t given it yet. Misocky couldn’t be reached to say when he’d respond to the request.

The Trumbull County Republican Party will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium at Riverside Square (the former St. Joseph Hospital) on Tod Avenue to make its recommendation on a board of elections member. Bonar said he wasn’t aware of anyone besides him interested in the position.

runyan@vindy.com