Board Meeting

On the agenda today: Certification of the November 8, 2022 General Election.

https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/docs/default-source/boe/board-meeting-documents/20221129-agenda.pdf?sfvrsn=6919b056_0

Looks like the @cuyahogaboe is having some internet issues again.

Looks like the meeting is live, but mislabeled (as of right now). If you want to follow along here’s the link to today’s meeting:

The @cuyahogaboe is renewing the software contract which allows 100 people at a time to call.

The board passes a $315,000 budget increase for salaries. Board member, Ms. Inajo Davis Chappell, makes sure this increase will not apply to board member salaries before the vote.

Public Comment: Charles C. Drake of Seven Hills – A Rover’s check is about $275 or $14.86 an hour. They are required to use their car with no compensation & must pay into OPERS despite temp status.

Mr. Drake petitions the board to raise Rover wages by 15%, pay millage, and no longer have temporary voting officials pay into OPERS unless they are registered for that retirement plan.

The first automatic county-wide recount in “quite some time” is scheduled on Dec 5th at 9:30am to follow up on a very close judge race for the court of common pleas.

The process of this recount will involve hand counting 5% of the ballots, scanning them and if they match scanning the remaining 95% of the ballots. This process can take up to 3 weeks.

Temporary workers who are on break this week, will come back to conduct the recount.

Whoever wins the court of common pleas position, begins on Jan 12th. So the @cuyahogaboe is looking at 10 hour weekdays until the recount is completed.

Again, some background on the court of common pleas race. https://twitter.com/glascu/status/1595105014372089857?s=20&t=gclIlMt6Fvb79A0R0O_2Pw

A motion is passed to certify all election results except the South Euclid Court of Common Pleas judicial results.

A spirited debate over a South Euclid judicial candidate Timothy Sterkel who ran unopposed is heating up. There is some discussion about Mr. Sterkel being on the ballot by mistake. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2022/11/has-south-euclid-officially-elected-a-judge-governor-may-have-to-decide.html

The board is debating if they have the authority to deal with this issue or if the matter should be decided by secretary of state and the governor.

Board member Lisa M. Stickan argues that it’s not the @cuyahogaboe‘s job to figure out disputed claims only to count the votes and certify them.

“My question is, if we didn’t correct [the error on the ballot in time] and we don’t certify the election now are we compounding the error and disenfranchising the voters?” Asks, board member, Inajo Davis Chappell.

“No, we are mitigating the issue and I do bear responsibility. I think we’d be compounding the error is we were to push it through.” Says a @cuyahogaboe legal counsel.

Board Member, Inajo Davis Chappell moves to release the opinion of the counsel on the matter of the South Euclid election. The @cuyahogaboe vote to do so unanimously.

Board chairman, Jeff Hastings, moves to certify the South Euclid election despite legal counsel’s misgivings.

“I don’t regularly like to not follow the advice of legal counsel.” Replies Board member Inajo Davis Chappell before clarifying that counsel is confident of the opinion he’s given.

“I think we need to provide stability to the public and rely on these dates and deadlines. There were over 4,000 votes cast and that’s weighing on me.” - Lisa M. Stickan

“This is a good [legal] opinion, but taking my legal hat off, I can’t disenfranchise 4,100 people.” -Inajo Davis Chappell

“This will resolve itself here or in the Secretary of State’s and Governor’s offices.” Says board chairman, Jeff Hastings before a unanimous vote to certify the uncontested judicial race in South Euclid– despite legal counsel’s opinion.

Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any inquiries on the meeting or these tweets to @cledocumenters. Or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com