The Ohio Supreme Court in a 6-1 ruling Monday said that state law requires the Stark County commissioners to fund the purchase of Dominion voting machines.
The court granted the Stark County Board of Elections its request in April for a court order mandating the commissioners appropriate county funds, about $1.5 million, for the purchase.
The court s opinion stated that contrary to what the commissioners argued, a state provision requiring payment of expenses to come from money appropriated by the commissioners did not apply to the purchase of the voting machines. I m very pleased and happy that they saw the law the same way we did, said Samuel Ferruccio, the chairman of the Stark County Board of Elections. I think it’s now in the county commissioners lap for them to pay for the voting machines.
With $100 million in much-anticipated tax credits set to evaporate on June 30, lawmakers are exploring ways to preserve the incentives for challenging real estate deals. The Ohio Development Services Agency recently released draft rules for the new transformational mixed-use development tax credit program.
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The elections board indicated it is considering legal action against commissioners decision on Wednesday.
The Board of Elections announced Friday it will meet in a closed-door session at 2:30 p.m. Monday apparently to discuss whether it will ask a judge to reverse the decision.
In a statement issued in response Friday afternoon, the Stark County commissioners office, said, It is disappointing that anyone is threatening lawsuits that waste taxpayer money. It is also unfortunate that the Board of Elections misrepresented to the public and the commissioners the true cost difference separating the two competing voting systems by over 80%$ ($1.6 million).
The three county commissioners, all Republicans, voted unanimously Wednesday to reject a recommendation that the county buy 1,450 touch-screen voting machines sold by Dominion Voting Systems. The commissioners did not speak publicly on their vote but approved a resolution rejecting the purchase.
Stark County commissioners reject Dominion voting machine purchase
CANTON The Stark County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to reject funding the purchase of 1,450 new Dominion touch-screen voting machines.
Commissioners Bill Smith, Richard Regula and Janet Weir Creighton, all Republicans, voted against accepting a recommendation by the Stark County Board of Elections to fund the purchase. None of them commented during the teleconference meeting.
All of them said from December to February that dozens to hundreds of Trump s supporters in Stark County contacted the commissioners, who have to approve all major spending by the county, urging them to block or scrutinize the purchase more closely. Then-President Donald Trump and his allies have alleged without credible evidence that the Dominion voting machines were hacked or counted votes inaccurately and contributed to him losing the election.