Dems must approve changes to party rules or face dire consequences, Betras says

BOARDMAN

Mahoning County Democratic Party precinct committee members must vote in favor of significant changes to their constitution or face “serious consequences,” its chairman said.

The party must comply with state and national Democratic mandates to have its chairman and his/her successor be of opposite sexes and eliminate secret ballots or face sanctions from the Ohio Democratic Party, said Chairman David Betras.

The committee will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Boardman’s St. Luke Parish, where they met last Saturday to elect party officers.

The local party lost the use of the ODP’s discount on campaign mail and access to its computer-software system for voters Monday because committee members elected Betras as chairman and Ron Massullo as executive vice chairman.

Access to mail discount and the software was restored Tuesday with the assurance from Betras to ODP officials that the changes would occur.

“Losing access to the voter file and the right to mail at the nonprofit rate made available by the ODP will substantially increase the cost of every piece of mail we send,” Betras wrote in a Wednesday letter to precinct committee members. “As a result, our ability to affect elections via direct mail will be severely restricted. We simply cannot allow this to happen.”

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