Saturday, November 20, 2010
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Though the margin of difference in the Nov. 4 Newton Falls special election was small, it appears it was not small enough to prevent Lyle A. Waddell from being sworn in as mayor this Wednesday.
The vote total was 526 for the recall of Mayor Pat Layshock and 500 against it.
That difference apparently won’t be small enough to trigger an automatic recount of the ballots, even if 16 provisional ballots still to be counted all went against recall.
Jodi Fiorenzo Dibble, deputy director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections, said the provisional ballots will be counted Monday or Tuesday, and the results of the election will be certified at an elections board meeting Tuesday.
Provisional ballots are cast by people who move into a voting district no more than 30 days before an election or those who change their name (typically through marriage) without notifying the board of elections or fail to provide a valid form of identification when they go to the polls.
An automatic recount is ordered if a vote is decided by less than a half of 1 percent of the votes cast. In this case, the difference would have to be five votes or fewer.
A swearing-in ceremony for Waddell is planned for 7 p.m. Wednesday in the courtroom of Judge Philip Vigorito of Newton Falls Municipal Court.
At Monday’s meeting of Newton Falls City Council, the body instructed Law Director Joseph Fritz to report at a Nov. 29 special meeting on costs and other details associated with firing City Manager Jack Haney.
Layshock critics say one reason they wanted Layshock to be removed was because they believed Layshock intended to fire Haney and Police Chief John Kuivila, who they believe are competent employees.
Another reason given is that Layshock has been too involved in the operations of city council.
“I’m going to try to stay as neutral as possible,” Waddell said of his role on council, adding that the primary job of the mayor is to run council meetings, not debate and create controversy.
If Waddell is certified as the winner of the election Tuesday, his term of office will be the remainder of Layshock’s unexpired term, through Dec. 31, 2011.