Attorney continues protest

Avon Lake man opposes petition for change of government

A local attorney will continue fighting a petition that seeks to change the form of government for Lorain County.

On July 31, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted notified the Lorain County Board of Elections that he voted in favor of allowing a countywide vote on the issue. Husted broke a 2-2 tie vote of the Lorain County Elections Board.

A day later, Avon Lake attorney Gerald Phillips said he filed another protest against the petition for the county vote.

Phillips repeated his arguments against the petition, claiming the document is invalid for a number of reasons under Ohio law.

The refiled protest was needed, Phillips said, because he fears “political games” and “politics as usual” in Lorain County.

He also said he was shocked that Husted would decide against “clear cut law” in Ohio dealing with the validity of the election paperwork.

Lorain County Republicans are leading the effort to file the petitions for a county vote on changing government, Phillips said.

He argued that Republican elections board members Marilyn Jacobcik and Helen Hurst should not have voted on the issue due to potential conflicts of interest.

Hurst bristled at the allegation.

“Until the secretary of state tells me I’m in conflict, there’s nothing else to be said,” she said. “That’s who I work for, as well as the people of the county of Lorain.”

The secretary of state’s office is charged with overseeing election law and procedure in Ohio.

This year, the Lorain County Republican Party Executive Committee endorsed allowing a countywide vote on the issue, Hurst said.

But the party committee has not lent its support for changing the form of county government, she said.

In the executive committee vote, Hurst said she did not side either way. She added she did not carry a petition to collect signatures for the issue and she did not sign the petition, even though signing it would be allowed.

“I do endorse it going to the ballot, personally,” Hurst said. “Let the people speak once and for all.”