Election Board won’t pursue Burns Harbor complaint
By Amy Lavalley Post-Tribune correspondent February 6, 2012 12:08PM
Updated: February 6, 2012 9:13PM
VALPARAISO — The Porter County Election Board decided Monday not to pursue a formal hearing in a matter concerning Burns Harbor Town Marshal Jerry Price.
Burns Harbor Clerk-Treasurer Jane Jordan filed a complaint on Nov. 14 that Price cast his vote within that community in the November election, even though he has a Portage address. The board took the matter under advisement at their Dec. 16 meeting.
In her complaint, Jordan stated that Price’s address in Burns Harbor is an empty lot, and he has filed for a homestead tax exemption on the Portage property. Price told the board he has three contiguous lots in Burns Harbor and his house is on one of them, but he does not have a street address there.
The board determined that Price didn’t intend to violate state statutes, and voted 3-0 not to pursue the matter. He will receive a letter that he needs to come to the voter registration office and rectify the matter.
“This is like Mr. White, who’s embarrassed us as an elected official,” board member J. Stankiewicz said, referring to Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White, who was convicted over the weekend of felony voter fraud.
In other business, seven people who’ve run for office in the county — four Democrats and three Republicans — never filed their campaign finance reports with the county. None of them is currently in office.
One of the cases goes back to 2006, said Voter Registration Democrat Director Kathy Kozuszek, and that person filed to run in a subsequent election.
“If you can’t tell me what you did with $80, you don’t deserve the office, and I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican,” she said.
She and Republican Director Sundae Schoon did not have the offenders’ names on hand at the meeting, but all will receive letters asking them to file their reports or face the election board at its March 5 meeting.
Additionally, the board gave the go-ahead to establish the Chesterton Town Hall as a satellite voting site for the May primary. The move is meant to better serve voters in the Duneland area.
The county’s other two satellite voting centers are at the administration building in downtown Valparaiso and the North County Government Complex in Portage.
The Chesterton Town Hall will be available to cast ballots from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. stating on April 9. Voting there will conclude at noon on May 7, the day before the primary.
Comments Click here to view or make a comment