The first day of candidate filing ended with a few contested races in Starke County. District 2 County Commissioner Don Binkley has filed to run for reelection. He faces opposition from county council member Bryan Cavender. Meanwhile, Dale Conley and Howard A. Bailey Jr. have both filed for the County Council District 2 seat.
Starke County has a new assessor. Longtime assessor’s office employee Michelle Snowdon was unanimously chosen during a Democratic Party caucus Thursday. Snowdon replaces Rhonda Milner, who officially stepped down from the position Friday afternoon. Continue reading
A court appearance by attorneys who represent Starke County and Linda Belork was vacated yesterday. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall will sign an order today establishing the procedure for selecting a nearby court to hear Belork’s case in which she disputes being dismissed from conducting her duties as the County Treasurer. Belork’s attorney had asked for a change of venue from Starke County.
The suit was brought against the County to determine if officials had the legal right to relieve her of the Treasurer’s duties.
The Starke County Commissioners Thursday removed county treasurer Linda Belork from office. The action was taken after the commissioners received a state audit of the office in which there were a considerable number of irregularities found. The commissioners have filed a complaint for default on the surety bond and damages. The surety bond company, Ohio Casualty Insurance, and Treasurer Linda Belork are named as defendants in the suit. Commissioner Kathy Norem asked for the removal, seconded by Jennifer Davis.
