County Election Board acts on late financial reports

Last Friday the Marshall County Election Board conducted several public hearings regarding delinquent campaign finance reports.

The final annual campaign finance report for 2023, submitted by Dana Neer who ran and was elected to the Culver Town Council was received in the mail one day late, on January 18^th. 

Neer did not attend the meeting and asked for dispensation because he mailed the report on January 11^th from Culver although it didn’t arrive in the Marshall County Clerk’s Office until January 18^th, and the due date was noon on January 17^th.   

The Marshall County Election Board agreed to waive a penalty fee for the delinquent report submitted by Dana Neer due to the postmark being January 11th.

The county election board postponed the public hearing for Gary Schue who ran for the Argos Town Council.  He contacted the Marshall County Clerk’s Office on February 14^th and told them he could not be available for the meeting on the 16^th.   

Nichole Walter was issued a fine of $25 for her delinquent election report that was received on January 19th.  She was on the ballot in 2022 and had no revenue or expenses in her election fund.  She did not attend the meeting but said her report had been stuck in her email draft folder.

Walter was also fine last year for a late report.  County Clerk Jenny Bennitt told the election board that she has filed the required paperwork to close her campaign finance fund.    

Brandon Richie who ran for the Plymouth City Council was so excited to turn his report into the election office on the 17^th.  The only issue was it was 2 hours late.  Members of the county election board agreed to waive penalties against Richie.

The final delinquent annual campaign finance report was from the Friends of Culver Community School Corporation which was created in 2018.  Election board members discussed the tendency of the Political Action Committee (PAC) to file delinquent reports. 

There’s been a recent change in the person responsible for completing the required paperwork.  On January 15^th Dana Neer was asked to serve as the PAC treasurer. 

The report was due on January 17^th and the Marshall County Clerk’s Office didn’t receive it until February 8^th.   Neer assured the election board that he would be responsible for the reports and would file them on time.  The Marshall County Election Board fined the PAC $50.