Cuyahoga Board of Elections still stumbles in their replacement search

It has recently been reported that the average yearly income of residents living within Cleveland is about $24,000 per year.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, has found fit to pay the failed elections director and his bumbling side kick over $20,000 per month, while they continue their fruitless search to fill the positions.

Even though our county is the butt of national jokes over the last several elections, the Cuyahoga Co Board decided to reward outgoing Elections Director & Deputy Director by allowing them to stay on while a replacement search is conducted. The two will help with the search process to name their replacements.

Outgoing director, Micheal Vu will receive $11,250 per month through the end of June '07, the original term of his contract. The PD reported this is equal to the amount of the directors normal monthly salary and benefits.

Outgoing Deputy Director, Gwen Dillingham will receive $9,675 per month through the end of August '07.

Combined this will cost the taxpayers, $82,000 plus the expense of the search to fill these positions.

Noting that the Board of Elections needs more time to make a decision, the Plain Dealer also reported --

Some of those with more election experience have applied for deputy director because they are Republicans and couldn't be director under the current board makeup.

Bennett is Republican and state law mandates that the director must be of a different party than the chairman and of the deputy director.

"I want the best person to serve as director," Bennett said, even if that means changing the chairman.

Asked whether the board would pick a director based on political party rather than on ability, board member Loree Soggs replied, "Nonsense."

The silver lining of this story may be that, it will cost us a little over $82,000 to get rid of Bennett as Board of Election chairman and have a republican named Director.

When Bennet was reelected as ORP Chairman, he barked how he was going to turn the party around. Bennett should step down as Board Chairman, to allow a qualified republican be named Director.

Now we will see if he continues to feed his blatantly over sized ego, or if he will be a man of his word and put the best interest of the party and county first!

King