UPDATED: 11:18 PM
The Stark County commissioners met this morning to consider hiring legal counsel for Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee appointed sheriff George Maier this morning.
Maier is being challenged by former Stark County sheriff Tim Swanson (Writ of Quo Warranto) as to his meeting statutory (ORC 311.01) qualifications set forth for anyone seeking the office of sheriff in Ohio.
The Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee (SCDPCC) by its chairman Randy Gonzalez is being sued by applicant Lt. Lou Darrow (Writ of Prohibition) on the grounds that the Party failed to properly (i.e. complying with ORC 311.01) qualify candidates prior to the committee persons vote 92 Maier, 84 Darrow and 1 Dordea on February 5th in a meeting at the Mayfield Senior Center.
The SCPR was unable to attend the commissioners' session today because of a prior commitment.
However, yours truly did stop by the commissioners office afterwards and Commissioner Tom Bernabei went on camera (presented at the end of this blog) to explain to Stark Countians the circumstances, the terms and conditions of the commissioners agreeing to hire Maier's lawyers.
Unless there is a complication, the commissioners have made an agreement with Maier's attorneys (Roetzel and Andress, Columbus/Thomas Rosenberg & Michael Traven) to pay up to $20,000 in legal fees for Maier's representation.
Being the skeptic that the SCPR is, The Report thinks it is entirely foreseeable that complications will occur.
Stark County taxpayers ought to send Roetzel & Andress scads of thank you cards for not charging for the time Rosenberg and Traven were working for Maier before he became sheriff.
Wasn't that considerate of the firm?
Rosenberg said at today's meeting (according to Commissioner Bernabei) that about $2,000 to $3,000 worth of work was done before February 5th (the date of Maier's selection).
It is more than a touch ironic (some folks might use stronger terms) that Stark County Democratic Party (SCDP) chair Randy Gonzalez and George's brother Johnnie spearheaded a "rush to selection" of George as the appointed Sheriff of Stark County (to replace the unable to serve sheriff-elect Mike McDonald) in the face of challenges (even among Democrats) to George's de jure qualifications and then for the taxpayers to have to pay George's legal bills when the seemingly inevitable lawsuit gets filed.
Apparently, some of the dissident February 5th Democrats want some justice.
Since they appear to think they didn't get it, vicariously they (via Swanson's litigation) resort to asking the Ohio Supreme Court to give them a fair hearing on whether or not George meets the statutory requirements of ORC 311.01.
And it could be that if former Sheriff Tim Swanson wins that lawsuit, Stark County taxpayers will have to pick up the tab for his legal bills and court costs.
That Roetzel and Andress did work prior for Maier prior to his being named sheriff, seems to clear evidence that he and his supporters (at the top level of the SCDP) fully expected that a lawsuit was coming.
So when Gonzalez cries about how local governments are being squeezed by the Kasich administration on local government funding, his complaints are hard to abide in light of the $20,000 or better that Stark taxpayers will be anteing up defending the Dems selection for sheriff.
Besides the money, it is the likelihood that a final resolution as who really is sheriff of Stark County could take anywhere from four to nine months or better.
Turmoil vexed the Stark County treasury from April 1, 2009 through October 31, 2011 in a version of legal musical chairs as to whom was the rightful Stark County treasurer.
So again Stark County's everyday citizens/taxpayers are about to be put through the wringer by the politicians.
Don't you just love these folks?
Wouldn't be poetic justice to these very same leadership Democrats if Maier were to ultimately lose the case and Republican Larry Dordea ultimately becomes the replacement?
Dare we hope?
Here is Commissioner Bernabei explaining the circumstances, the terms and the conditions of Maier's representation:
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