DEBACLE SETTLED?
County Commissioners Make Deal With Canvassers, Clerk

August 8, 2013
By: Dave Rogers

The Michigan Attorney General, the State Elections Board and the Secretary of State are not needed, after all, to settle a smoldering feud in the Bay County Building.

The Bay County Board of Commissioners this week settled a dispute in a hush-hush parley before their meeting and restored the Board of Canvassers budget that had been totally wiped out July 9.

The canvassers wrote a letter, that apparently was never sent but was posted on the agenda for a board meeting, complaining to state officials of the "zeroing out" of their $15,000 annual budget.

The letter, written on the county clerk's letterhead, cited "possible violation of state election laws" in the budget wipe out, noting the need to pay per diems for canvassing elections and possible recounts.

Reports by insiders indicate the debacle started when a Democratic commissioner discovered that a Republican alternate member of the Board of Canvassers was being paid $100 a day to work in the office of County Clerk Cynthia Luczak.

Commissioners have tussled with Mrs. Luczak on previous occasions about her demands for more help, and service cutbacks such as passport work as well as noontime closings, in her office.

A resolution, proposed by Democrat Donald Tilley and supported by Republican Vaughn Begick, adopted Tuesday states:

"RESOLVED: That the Bay County Board of Commissioners hereby restores the per diem line item as of 7/9/13 to the Board of Canvassers 2013 budget with $3,100 appropriated to cover scanning and record retention of elections/minutes by a temporary employee through 8/30/13 with the remaining balance to cover per diem expenses in accordance with Michigan Election Law at the rate of $100 per day."

Voting yes on the resolution were Chair Ernie Krygier, Begick, Kim Coonan, Tilley and Michael E. Lutz. Excused from voting were Brandon Krause and Thomas M. Herek.

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