Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Three of the four Marathon Election Canvassing Board members were forced to resign Monday -- one day before the city election -- because state law prohibits them from actively participating in a candidate's campaign.

City Council and Canvassing Board members Dick Ramsay, Ginger Snead and Pete Worthington stepped down, leaving City Clerk Diane Clavier as the lone member.

Monroe County Judge Luis Garcia appointed their replacements Monday afternoon, tapping local attorneys Richard Warner and Bill Heffernan and Chapman Asset Management owner Peter Chapman.

The resignations came after an Oct. 15 advisory opinion was sent from the Florida Division of Elections to Broward County Judge Sharon Zeller, specifying prohibited activities for election canvassing board members.

They included serving as the chair or co-chair of an election committee and publicly endorsing a candidate, which includes holding or displaying a sign, wearing a T-shirt or even attending a fundraiser for a candidate.

Ramsay and Worthington said they were unaware of the recent opinion, and Snead did not return The Citizen's phone calls seeking comment Monday.

Ramsay said he attended fundraisers for candidates John Bartus and Mike Cinque, and has a Cinque magnet on a vehicle his corporation owns. Worthington said he attended a fundraiser for candidate Rich Keating, and also has a Keating magnet on his vehicle.

"I was just supporting a good candidate," Worthington said. "I went to his fundraiser and now I'm disqualified."

The Canvassing Board traditionally is comprised of the city clerk and City Council members who are not up for re-election. It oversees the counting of ballots by officials from the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Office, and is the deciding factor should a signature from an absentee ballot be called into question.

Last year, the city had no need for a canvassing board because Monroe County had elections and handled those duties. This year, the City Council election is the only item on the local ballot.