No word on new Westmoreland election director while 'restructuring' presses on; last results certified

Westmoreland officials are pressing on with a restructuring of the county’s election bureau even though the fate of its director remains in limbo.

Greg McCloskey, the county’s public works director, was appointed to oversee the election bureau while director JoAnn Sebastiani remains on a paid suspension. On Wednesday, he said the restructuring plan is designed to address “shortfalls” in the bureau.

“(There will be a) new checks and balances system,” McClos­key said. “(It will) improve customer service … to attract and retain quality workers.”

Sebastiani was placed on paid suspension June 8, a status that originally was to last only until June 11.

Two weeks later, the election board has yet to confirm the status of her position or what will happen with Sebastiani, who remains off the job.

County Solicitor Melissa Guiddy said during a special meeting Wednesday the board still is “working through” the details.

“We really can’t comment on the personnel matter,” Guiddy said.

Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher said an update on the matter is “coming.”

The restructuring plans include extending the bureau’s hours to 8 p.m., increasing some pay grades, making the bureau’s website more “accessible” and implementing electronic poll books to “expedite” voting results, McCloskey said.

Sebastiani, 63, was named director in August after the resignation of department head Beth Lechman.

Sebastiani previously worked as a deputy director in the county tax office. In her new role, she was charged with coordinating a high-turnout presidential election in which no-excuse mail-in balloting and new voting equipment were used for the first time amid an ongoing pandemic.

In October, commissioners fired the election bureau’s deputy director. That position has not been filled.

Last results certified

At the meeting, the board certified results of two May primary results contested in separate court cases.

The two races — for Southmoreland School Board and the Democratic race for Sewickley Township supervisor — were challenged in court by lawsuits intended to invalidate initial results.

The first lawsuit alleged that an available two-year term for the school board was excluded from May ballots, and the second alleged Democratic write-in votes were miscounted by county officials for a supervisor position.

Southmoreland School Board member Catherine Fike challenged primary results that saw candidate Brian Shipley emerge as the top vote-getter for a four-year seat. Fike alleged Shipley filed to run for a two-year board seat that did not appear on the primary ballot and shouldn’t have been allowed to run for a four-year seat.

In the Sewickley Township supervisor race, Jared Filapose claimed 47 write-in votes weren’t attributed to specific candidates — some of which contained misspellings of his name.

The Democrat ballot for supervisor listed no candidates, but Bill Dull Sr. emerged on top with 20 Democratic write-in votes, one vote ahead of Filapose’s 19 write-ins. Dull was the only candidate on the Republican ballot.

However, Judge Harry Smail Jr. dismissed both lawsuits Friday on the grounds of improper submission. The lawsuits, he said, did not include verified signatures from 20 district voters nor required bonds.

Additionally, the judge suggested at least partial blame for the Southmoreland error rested on the school district.

Smail noted there was merit to Fike’s lawsuit but the improper submission forced him to dismiss that case.

The election board also certified results of the Democratic primary for Jeannette Council in which Nancy Peters won the nomination.