The Preble County Board of Elections will eventually be moving into office space provided by Preble County Commissioners in the county’s Junction Village Mall facility, according to officials, who met with the board on Wednesday, Feb. 1. But due to upcoming elections, the board will not be able to move to the new location prior to March 2024, BOE officials told commissioners — after the 2024 Presidential Primary. The estimated target date for the move is by June 1, 2024.
EATON — The Preble County Board of Elections will eventually be moving into office space provided by Preble County Commissioners in the county’s Junction Village Mall facility, according to officials, who met with the board on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
The office space will be laid out and created under the Secretary of State’s guidelines for BOE offices, to ensure security and all necessary functions are met. But due to upcoming elections, the board will not be able to move to the new location prior to March 2024, BOE officials told commissioners — after the 2024 Presidential Primary. The estimated target date for the move is by June 1, 2024.
“First of all, we sent you an email on Dec. 22, in response to your floor plan that we received, because we had some questions on it, and also because we needed some updates from you three because the community — everyone wants to know what the heck’s going on? I can’t go anywhere. And I think all of us here can attest to that, that we can’t go anywhere without saying, ‘hey, what’s happening to the building for you guys? When are you moving?’ And I’ll tell you literally, I’m throwing you three under the bus when I talk to them, because I’m saying ‘hey, it’s up in the commissioners. We haven’t been updated. We don’t know.’ So, that’s why we’re here,” board member Terri Hans told commissioners.
Commissioner Adam Craft said he had reached out to speak to Robert Wood, who is on the BOE, but was advised Lisa Bruns has been made the contact person for the project. Craft said he was not aware of Bruns’ role in the project and officials will contact her about the project when necessary.
“We’re just trying to make sure that the monies are used wisely,” Hans told commissioners. “And you guys need to make sure that everybody’s been in contact with the Secretary of State’s office because you have made that whole building a polling location now by moving us in there. So, it’s going to need to be under the Secretary of State’s guidelines. We don’t want money spent on it and then state coming in and saying, ‘Hey, this needs to be checked, checked, and changed.’ So we just need to make sure that you’re keeping in contact with the Secretary of State’s office.”
The board and commissioners discussed everything from the office’s layout to furniture, security and electrical work needed to complete the project.
The BOE will meet next on Saturday, March 4, at the Junction Village Mall location.
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on Twitter @emowenjr.
