Political parties in 2 counties to fill elections-board seats

By David Skolnick

The incumbents are seeking to be reappointed.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning and Trumbull County Democratic and Republican parties each will meet next week to elect members to the county board of elections.

The elections board consists of two Democrats and two Republicans and oversees elections and election issues in the county.

The four-year terms of Robert Wasko of Campbell, a Democrat and board chairman, and Mark Munroe of Boardman, a Republican and board vice chairman, are expiring.

Both are seeking re-election by their respective county party’s executive committees. Board members receive $15,000 a year in salary.

The Democrats’ executive committee will meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at its party headquarters, 3321 Mahoning Ave. in Youngstown. There are about 80 members of the party’s executive committee. Most of the committee members are elected officeholders on the local and county levels.

Besides Wasko, Cynthia McWilson of Youngstown, an unsuccessful 2003 city council candidate, is interested in the appointment, Democratic Chairman David Betras said.

Wasko has served on the elections board since 2002.

Those who want to apply must send a letter of interest and a r sum by today to Betras at party headquarters or his law office at 6630 Seville Drive in Canfield, or via e-mail to dbetras@bhlaws.com.

Betras said he’s not interested in serving on the board because he’s too busy as party chairman — raising money and working on this year’s election — in addition to his law practice and family.

The Mahoning Republican executive committee will meet at 9 a.m. Jan. 16 at its party headquarters, 621 Boardman-Canfield Road in Boardman to select an elections- board member.

No one else besides Munroe has expressed interest in the position, but nominations will be accepted from the floor by executive committee members at the meeting.

There are 21 members of the Mahoning Republican executive committee. Most of them are precinct committee members.

Munroe has been an elections-board member since 1998. He also served from 1991 to 1996.

The Ohio secretary of state’s office must confirm all appointments.

In Trumbull County, Christ Michelakis, county Democratic Party chairman, was unopposed and selected to remain in the position of Trumbull County Board of Elections member.

The party’s executive committee made that recommendation Tuesday.

Michelakis was selected to fill the unexpired term of Barbara Katzenberger two years ago.

One Democratic and one Republican position become vacant as of March 1. The job pays $14,316 without health care, though a lawsuit is pending in Trumbull County Common Plea court over the Trumbull County commissioners’ eliminating health care for the job in late 2008.

On the Republican side, Kathi Creed, newly elected Trumbull County Republican Party chairwoman, and incumbent board of elections member Ron Knight are running for Knight’s position. Knight has been on the board since March 2006.

The Trumbull County GOP meets at 7 p.m. Monday at Living Lord Lutheran Church, Howland, to decide its elections-board appointee.

Creed was elected party chairperson by the party’s central committee Nov. 4. She replaced Craig Bonar, who resigned after 111‚Ñ2 years in the position. His term would have expired in May.

Bonar will remain as the other Republican member of the elections board. He has two years left on his elections-board term. The fourth member of the board is Democrat Ralph Infante, Niles mayor.

Creed, who is from Liberty and formerly ran a business in Hubbard with her husband, John, has been on the party’s central committee 15 years, has been on the state central committee for 12 years and has been a member of the Warren Republican Women’s Club 15 years.

She was a delegate for George W. Bush during the Republican convention of 2004 and was an alternate delegate for John McCain in 2008.