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The county has parted ways sooner than expected with Registrar of Voters
Scott Konopasek, who took heat for many mistakes in his office.
Konopasek and his assistant, Steve Trout, who planned to leave their posts
in January, agreed Sunday to step down after a meeting with top county
officials Friday.
They were placed on paid administrative leave and will assist Chief Deputy
Registrar of Voters Donna Manning if necessary.
"There wasn't any single event that led to this or any malfeasance or
questionable behavior,' county spokesman David Wert said. "Unfortunately
there isn't any more the county can say about the matter because it is a
personnel issue.'
The pair submitted resignation letters in October, citing plans to open an
election-consulting business in Highland.
They had planned to remain until January so they could certify the Nov. 2
election and conduct a retirement board election next month.
Konopasek will earn about $13,000 before his resignation is effective Dec.
24, and Trout will earn about $1,500 before he officially departs Jan. 15,
according to county salary data.
Both men did not return calls seeking comment Monday.
Konopasek was dinged by the media, the public and county supervisors for
every election foul-up that occurred under his watch, including an absentee
ballot misprint that left party affiliations off two local legislative races
in the Nov. 2 election.
First District Supervisor Bill Postmus, one of the registrar's biggest
critics on the Board of Supervisors, lashed out at Konopasek after a
computer goof delayed results for eight hours in the March primary.
Chief Administrative Officer Mark Uffer scolded Konopasek for not securing
competitive bids for sample ballot printing during an August board meeting.
Konopasek asked the board to grant a $400,000 printing contract to a company
and said he did not have time to solicit bids from other printers. The board
unanimously granted the request. |
