Ruling: Elections board member has conflict because boss is on ballot

Staff report

WARREN

Ken Kubala, safety and compliance manager for the Trumbull County Engineer’s Office, has a conflict of interest by serving as a member of the county elections board while his boss, county Engineer Randy Smith, is on the March 15 primary ballot for re-election.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office issued that opinion Tuesday after the county prosecutor’s office asked for the opinion Dec. 17.

The decision says it doesn’t matter that Smith, a Democrat, is unopposed in the primary election.

Elections board members must make a number of decisions “that directly affect a county engineer’s candidacy and election,” the opinion says.

The decision doesn’t say whether some action will need to be taken to eliminate the conflict of interest. But the county Democratic Party executive committee meets today to determine whether Kubala will remain in the elections board seat when his current term expires at the end of this month.

On Tuesday, the county Republican Party’s executive committee met and reappointed Ron Knight to the board. His term will be for three years.