Ruling scolds Smith for sign

Candidate for fiscal officer did not have correct wording on signs.

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By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer 4:52 PM Thursday, January 12, 2012

CLEARCREEK TWP., Warren County — On the eve of last fall’s election, the Ohio Elections Commission ruled challenger Teri Smith violated state election law while running for Clearcreek Twp. Fiscal Officer.

On Nov. 7, the commission decided Smith violated state law on signs used in her race against the township’s fiscal officer, Linda Oda.

While finding a violation, the commission took no further action or referred the case for prosecution.

The ruling was revealed in a post-campaign finance report filed in late December indicating Smith paid lawyer Jeff Ruppert $300 from her campaign fund for work on the case.

On Oct. 27, Oda filed a complaint with the state commission.

“The campaign sign, a photo of which is attached, does not contain the words ‘for’ or ‘elect’. It simply states: Teri Smith Township Fiscal Officer,” Oda said in the complaint.

On Nov. 8 Oda was re-elected to her second term with more than 64 percent of the vote. She has since announced plans to run for Warren County recorder.

Last week, Smith, a business owner with a financial background, said she was simply mistaken about the rules.

“I was a first time candidate,” said Smith, a business owner with a financial background who promoted her business skills during the campaign.

The signs were corrected before Oda’s complaint was filed, Smith said.

Oda said she brought the complaint — without publicity — to resolve the issue, in case Smith runs again.

“If I was trying to use it to win, I would have made a big deal out of it before the election,” she said.

While acknowledging Smith added “for” on the signs, Oda said the change was hard to see.

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