Masich to be named elections board director

AS REPORTED BY Grumpy Abe on Feb. 11, the new director of the Summit County Board of Elections will be Joe Masich, the long-time inner-circle loyalist of Chairman Alex Arshinkoff's county Republican Party. Masich is the administrator of the Summit County Probate Court and will move into his new $105,000 job March 5, the day before the Ohio primary.

A source confirmed that Arshinkoff has informed Tim Gorbach, a Democratic member of the board, that Masich will be appointed when the board reorganizes next week. Masich replaces Ron Koelher, who was told by Arshinkoff and Republican board member Ray Weber, brothers in the bond, that they wouldn't rehire him.

P.S. Probate Judge Todd McKenney a recent Republican addition to that court, soon declared that he would not seek full-term election, apparently quickly at odds with the chairman. McKenney, who has refused to discuss the issue, reportedly wanted to name his own administrator. The flock strife in Planet GOP never seems to end.