Layshock recall organizer to try again

By ED RUNYAN

runyan@vindy.com

WARREN

Phillip Beer, who organized a petition drive in an attempt to recall Newton Falls Mayor Pat Layshock, said he will visit the same people and get new signatures now that the Trumbull County Board of Elections ruled Tuesday that the first set of petitions is invalid.

Beer said he has a list of those who signed the first time, so it will be easy to get a new set filled out.

Beer said the recall was going to require a special election anyway, so there was no specific deadline for the petitions.

James Saker, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor who advises the elections board, said the petitions turned in contain outdated language that warns petition signers that election fraud is a misdemeanor offense.

The law was changed about 10 years ago, making election fraud a felony, and the petitions need to say that such an offense is a felony, Saker said.

Beer has said he and others believe it is time for Layshock to be removed from office after serving as mayor most of the last 18 years. Among the reasons why, he said, is that Layshock is threatening to get rid of the city’s police chief and city manager.

“If we don’t stop them, they’re going to drive the city bankrupt,” Beer said of Layshock and his supporters.

In other business, the elections board approved a reduction in the number of voting precincts in the county from 250 to 235 in time for the general election.

Kelly Pallante, elections board director, said combining two voting precincts into one in 15 locations will save about $850 per eliminated precinct per election, or roughly $12,750 each election.

The precincts to be consolidated are in Warren City (5), Bazetta (3), Champion (1), Howland (1), Hubbard Township (1) McDonald (1) Newton Township (1), Warren Township (1) and Orange (1).

Pallante said the consolidations were selected in part because each affected precinct has a vacancy for the seat of Democratic Party precinct committee member.