LISBON — The Columbiana County Board of Elections agreed to grant 5% wage increases to all six employees this year in keeping with the recent 5% wage increase that took effect for board members through state legislation.

“We’re all very pleased with the work you’ve done,” Board Chairman David Johnson said to the employees, with board member Charley Kidder adding, “They do a fabulous job.”

According to county Board of Elections Director Kim Fusco, the wage increase will cost an additional $646 each pay period.

Board members entered into executive session for personnel to discuss employment of public employees. After they returned to open session, Johnson said this was the time of year to evaluate wage rates for the staff, which includes the director, deputy director and four clerks. He said the general assembly passed a 5% annual increase for four years for county public officials throughout the state, starting this year.

The pay for public officials is based on population. According to the pay table, board members for the Board of Elections will receive an annual salary of $12,199 in 2026, then $12,809 in 2027, $13,449 in 2028 and $14,121 in 2029.

Johnson said he didn’t think it was fair for the board members to get a 5% increase without giving one to the employees.

Both Fusco and Deputy Director Niki Wilkinson thanked board members. Fusco said the staff works very hard.

In other action, the board certified the five candidate petitions received for the May 5 ballot, including 79th state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-New Waterford and her Democratic opponent, Bob Guy, East Liverpool, along with Republican officeholders Commissioner Mike Halleck, Auditor Nancy Gause Milliken and Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Baronzzi. All will be unopposed in the primary.

Local liquor options certified were: Englefield Inc., dba Alliance Duchess C-2 (Monday through Friday sales) and D-2 (Sunday sales) in Knox Township Northwest; REB 2nd Drive Thru, dba Gina’s Drive Thru (Sunday sales) in East Liverpool 1-B; Gerneaux Hospitality, LLC, dba Rumpled Queen, (Sunday sales), Salem 2-A; and Aldi’s Inc., dba Calcutta Aldi’s 23 (Monday through Friday sales and Sunday sales), St. Clair Township Calcutta.

Fusco noted that the option for Gina’s Drive Thru had more than enough valid signatures, but did not print out the top part of the petition and the instructions, which she said was not a fatal flaw. The board agreed that the petition was in substantial compliance and Kidder noted they abided by the instructions.

The local liquor option for Quaker Beverage, dba Gene’s Drive Thru, for Sunday sales, Salem 2-A, was invalidated after failing to collect enough valid signatures. The option required 50 valid signatures, but out of 58 signatures collected, only 41 were valid.

Wilkinson said the signatures were triple checked to see if they could get to 50, but the valid number wasn’t enough.

The board also certified the 76 Republican Central Committee filings. Johnson said there are six vacancies and a number of contested races. He said that’s the largest turnout the party has ever had for Central Committee filings.

“We have a number of new people that wanted to get involved,” he said.

The board passed a resolution setting a deadline of March 6 for anyone wanting to withdraw from the primary election so that their names won’t appear on the ballot. Wilkinson said that’s what took so long during the last election in November because there was a name on the ballot for a candidate who withdrew, but it was too late to remove it, so they had to cover up the name during the counting process.

Bills were approved of $93,349 for December 2025 and $90, 377 for January 2026.

In other news, Wilkinson noted the change in state law regarding absentee ballots, which now must be at the board of elections by the close of the polls at 7:30 p.m. May 5. The absentee ballots can be placed in the drop box by the board office or brought in to the counter. The estimate was that the ballots would have to be in the mail at least 10 days or more before Election Day to arrive in time.

For military personnel/overseas voters, the deadline remains the same. The ballot must arrive no later than four days after the election.

The next meeting of the board will be 2 p.m. March 24.