Erie County councilors remove Board of Elections chair Jim Wertz in 4-3 vote after conflict concerns

Erie — Erie County Council voted 4 to 3 on April 30 to remove Councilman Jim Wertz as chair of the Board of Elections after some councilors said his prior contacts with a group that filed litigation about 2024 tabulator data created the appearance of a conflict.

Wertz opened the special meeting by asserting personal privilege and saying the meeting had been called by Council Chairman Terry Skitella to remove him from the chairmanship. Wertz told the council he had inquired about claims raised in litigation concerning the tabulators used in the 2024 election but said he did not endorse the lawsuit’s conclusions. "Trust, but verify," he said as he described asking staff and solicitors to confirm tests for logic and accuracy.

The vote followed an extended period in which councilors debated whether personnel issues should be discussed in executive session and whether Wertz’s contacts created a disqualifying conflict. County Solicitor Thomas Talarico told councilors the chair’s daily functions have "very little" to do with ongoing litigation and said the case could be resolved within months, depending on whether a judge dismisses it.

During public comment, dozens of residents urged councilors to preserve Wertz’s chairmanship. Speakers praised Wertz’s record of expanding ballot access and election security and warned that publicly reversing an earlier appointment without a detailed procedural or ethical justification would undermine trust in local elections. "This meeting marks a stain on this body," one longtime resident said, and several speakers noted a primary election was fewer than three weeks away.

Councilors who supported removal said the action was a precaution to avoid any appearance of impropriety while litigation and allegations were unresolved. A roll-call near the end of the meeting recorded four yes votes and three no votes; the chairmanship then shifted to the vice chair, identified in the record as Chris.

The record shows councilors moved into executive session earlier in the meeting to discuss personnel matters; that motion carried by roll call by a 4-to-3 margin. Wertz read into the public record a letter from his outside counsel that criticized other letters circulated about him as mischaracterizations.

No formal finding of wrongdoing was announced on the record; councilors who voted for removal said the step was taken because of a perceived conflict of interest, while Wertz and many public speakers said he had acted to protect election integrity. The Board of Elections retains the same membership, and councilors said a removed chair remains a board member and will continue to be involved in elections, though not as chair.

Next steps: Council did not announce additional disciplinary actions or a timeline for any further review; the county solicitor indicated the federal suit that prompted the inquiry could be resolved in the coming months or continue longer if litigation proceeds.