Article published June 27, 2008
2 Republicans are asked to quit Lucas County Board of Elections
Stainbrook: Vote of no confidence
By TOM TROY
BLADE POLITICS WRITER
Jon Stainbrook, who won a hard-fought contest for Lucas County GOP chairman, yesterday asked for the resignation of two Republicans on the Lucas County Board of Elections, Patrick Kriner and Lynn Olman.
Mr. Stainbrook praised the service of both men, but said in a letter provided to The Blade that events of recent months have caused him to lose confidence in Mr. Kriner, of Sylvania, and Mr. Olman, of Maumee.
Both men said they would not resign, and claimed they've been successful at restoring credibility to an elections office that was under state oversight for performance problems from 2002 to 2006.
Mr. Stainbrook did not detail his concerns but has complained repeatedly since January that Republicans on the board of elections staff provided behind-the-scenes assistance to his opponents for the Lucas County Republican Party central committee in the March 4 election.
"It is very important that a chairman have faith that the board members represent the best interests of the party's candidates, elected officials, and the election process as a whole, and that is why we need to make a change. Rest assured your adherence to the tradition of allowing the Chairman to name his own Board Members is truly appreciated," Mr. Stainbrook said in his letter.
The longtime Republican activist defeated former Chairman Robert Reichert in a close vote two weeks ago after Mr. Stainbrook's slate of candidates won a majority of seats in the party central committee election. Mr. Stainbrook said he was seeking the chairmanship to open the party to wider participation and to end what he saw as a legacy of corruption continuing from the days of disgraced former chairman Tom Noe and his wife Bernadette Noe.Mr. Kriner said there is no tradition of elections board members being replaced by a new party chairman.
A similar situation arose in the Lucas County Democratic Party when it went through a factional dispute in 2004.
That year, newly elected Democratic Chairman Sandy Isenberg demanded that the two Democrats on the board step down.
Both refused, but were then forced to quit the following year under pressure from then-Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell over issues of board performance.
Board members are appointed by the secretary of state to four-year terms based on the local party chairman's recommendation, with two from each major party. The two Democratic board members are Rita Clark of Oregon and Garrick Johnson of Sylvania Township.
Service on the elections board comes with a salary, health benefits, and a public pension.
Under a formula set by state law, members of the Lucas County board are paid $17,261 per year.
The county also provides family health, dental, and prescription drug coverage that costs taxpayers just over $1,000 a month per person. The three members who include their spouses under primary coverage pay a co-pay based on their income - $899 a year from Mrs. Clark and Mr. Kriner, and $1,174 from Mr. Olman. Mr. Johnson's wife is covered by her employer.
They also receive full annual credit from the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System to which Lucas County contributes the equivalent of 14 percent of their pay, or about $93 per month. Total compensation - almost $32,000 a year.
And board members receive county-funded $40,000 life insurance policies.
The duties of an elections board member are to set policy for the 24-person staff and approve decisions by the elections director at regular monthly board meetings, as well as occasional special meetings. They attend at least one annual training conference in Columbus, paid for by the county. They also attend community events on behalf of the board, and usually put in long hours during elections and their aftermath.
Mr. Kriner and Mr. Olman said they made a commitment when they were appointed in 2005 to contribute some of their earnings to the Lucas County Republican Party, but said it was not a quid pro quo of getting the job.
"I planned on increasing my normal contributions to the Lucas County Republican Party as well as to candidates," Mr. Olman said. "That was a statement that came from me. It was not requested."
He said he did not know the appointment came with a salary until he took the post.
In 2007, Mr. Olman gave the party $2,300, compared to $1,000 in 2004, according to campaign finance reports on file with the Lucas County Board of Elections and Mr. Olman's own records.
Mr. Kriner donated $5,500 to the Lucas County Republican Party last year, records show.
"At the time that I received my appointment I made a commitment to support the party with some of the money I received from that salary, which I have been doing from day one," Mr. Kriner said.
Mr. Kriner and Mr. Olman said they would continue to contribute to Republican candidates at the local, state, and national levels, but had not decided whether to continue supporting the local party as they have in the past.
"These guys are responsible for oversight at the board of election, and they haven't done a competent job. Hundreds of voters had their votes thrown out because the board of elections couldn't order the right sized envelopes," said Mr. Stainbrook. "They need to be replaced."
The GOP chairman said it is ridiculous that taxpayers are paying Mr. Olman and Mr. Kriner a salary and providing them with health insurance and public pensions.
"Both of these guys are businessmen and have many other things to do. Whoever is on that board has to make county elections their main priority," said Mr. Stainbrook. "Lynn Olman doesn't need $18,000 and the taxpayers shouldn't be paying for his health insurance."
Contact Tom Troy at:
tomtroy@theblade.com
or 419-724-6058.
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