Updated: Two Knox Park Board Members not Eligible to Serve on Board

Wythogan Park

WKVI News is revisiting a story we had earlier in the week about the eligibility of two Park Board members. Because we used the phrase “not qualified”, some in our audience thought we meant the two members in question were not competent to sit on the Board. That is not correct, as the members Irene Szakonyi and Kurt Snearly are eminently qualified. Park Board President, Chris Marshall, called them very valuable, and we concur.

The misinterpretation came in a story from the Knox City Council in which attorney, David Matsey, said the pair could not sit on the Park Board because they were not members of the Boards that named them to sit on that Board.

“The problem we’ve got is that two current members on the Park Board do not fit the statute,” said Council Attorney, David Matsey.

As Ex-Officio members of the Park Board they would have had to be Knox School Board members or Starke County Library Board members. They are not so they are not eligible to serve on the Park Board.

It’s not known how the matter will be settled but Marshall urged the Council to find a way in which they could stay on the Board.

WKVI was in no way was insinuating that the pair mentioned were not competent to sit on the Board. We apologize for the misunderstanding.