Westmoreland elections director fired days before her ouster was made public

Westmoreland County’s former election bureau director was out of a job a week before her bosses officially signed off on her removal, according to a document obtained by the Tribune-Review.

JoAnn Sebastiani was fired as elections bureau director effective June 19, according to an “action form” created by the county’s human services department four days later. That document was signed June 25 by all three county commissioners and indicated Sebastiani’s job was terminated.

Officials announced last week that the county is seeking a new election bureau director, though commissioners refused to disclose how or why Sebastiani was removed from the job. She had been on paid suspension since June 8.

“It’s a personnel issue and we tried to make the best decision we can,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said. He declined to discuss specifics of Sebastiani’s firing, saying only that commissioners acted based on recommendations from the county’s human resources director and solicitor.

It remains unclear whether the firing was handled correctly.

Such actions are to take place publicly under Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act, according to Melissa Melewsky, a lawyer for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The law does not allow official actions to be handled in private, she said.

“The board’s vote can only take place at a public meeting and only after there has been an opportunity for meaningful public comment,” Melewsky said. “The law guarantees the public’s ability to witness and participate in all official action, and it requires an opportunity for public comment prior to all votes.”

Kertes on Tuesday, less than an hour before the county issued a statement acknowledging Sebastiani’s ouster, said he had no knowledge of her job status. He later explained that comment was an attempt to say that he was unsure when an official announcement would be made.

Sebastiani, 63, was hired as election bureau director in August after a five-year stint as a deputy director in the county’s tax office. She oversaw last fall’s presidential election and this spring’s municipal primary. She came under fire after several ballot issues and counting delays plagued both elections. Several departures among election bureau staffers also impacted operations, officials said.

She declined to comment.

Prior to Sebastiani’s hiring, previous directors had experience and a connection to the election bureau before taking over the department.

Jim Montini, who served for a decade as the election bureau director until his retirement in 2016, said experience is essential in overseeing the elections process. Beth Lechman, his deputy director, assumed the department’s top job after he retired. Lechman resigned last summer.

“It’s a very public position and so many things can happen that are out of your control,” Montini said. “You prepare for 365 days for those two days. It’s an extremely difficult job.”

Unlike Sebastiani, Montini was familiar with the election bureau operations, having served as a specialist in the computer information department assigned to assist the elections staff before he became director.

Montini declined to discuss Sebastiani’s tenure or the issues that led to her firing.

“She walked into an impossible job, especially during a pandemic,” Montini said.

The county is seeking applicants for Sebastiani’s replacement. That person will be required to have at least three years of elections experience, commissioners said.

Staff writer Deb Erdely contributed to this report.