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Legal review finds employee did not violate petition-circulation rules; council members disagree
Summary
A village legal opinion concluded employee Shannon Beas did not violate village ordinance or Ohio code when she circulated nominating petitions on personal time, but several council members argued circulating nominating petitions constitutes campaign activity and voiced concerns.
Council considered an anonymous complaint on Nov. 18 alleging that administrative assistant Shannon Beas circulated nominating petitions in violation of village ordinance 35.704 and Ohio Revised Code 124.57. Director Mike presented a written legal opinion concluding Beas did not violate the law because the circulation occurred on personal time and did not use village resources.
Director Mike summarized his analysis for council: "The short answer is no: Beas did not violate 35.704 or Ohio Revised Code 124.57," and he explained the village ordinance prohibits circulation of petitions only when it occurs on village time or property. The opinion argued nominating petition circulation is distinct from partisan campaigning because it serves the administrative function of ballot access.
Several council members disagreed with that interpretation. One councilor said circulating a petition for a village council candidate is "actively engaging in that campaign" and expressed a serious issue with a village employee27s involvement. In response Beas told the council she consulted an attorney before circulating, said the signatures were collected on her personal time, that she is not a classified employee subject to the particular state civil-service prohibition cited by a critic, and that the petitions included about a dozen family and neighbor signatures.
The council did not take punitive action during the Nov. 18 meeting. Director Mike said the complaint and opinion were presented for transparency and offered to discuss the matter with council members individually. The discussion left the question politically contested among council members: the village published the legal opinion to the packet, and councilors who objected may pursue further review or policy changes to clarify the village27s standards for employee political activity.
No ordinance change or formal discipline was announced at the meeting.
