January, 19, 2000
Looks like Neff will miss primary
By Erik Burriss
Staff Writer
The Ohio Secretary of State's office has ruled that Seneca County Sheriff H. Weldin Neff will not be a Republican candidate for sheriff in the 2000 primary.
"According to our understanding of the facts, Mr. Neff filed his declaration of candidacy a few minutes after 4:00 p.m. on January 7, 2000, and did not at that time have the required filing fee," Judith A. Hoffmann, chief elections counsel to Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, said in a letter to Seneca County Board of Elections Director Donna Spitler. "If these are indeed the facts, there is no question that Mr. Neff filed late and the board should not certify the declaration of candidacy as valid."
Spitler and Seneca County Board of Elections Chairman Wayne Hoover, who were at the board office until the deadline on Jan. 7, have said that Neff filed his petitions after 4 p.m. Spitler has also said that Neff had to come back to pay the $80 filing fee.
The elections board had split the Jan. 11 vote along party lines, 2-2, whether or not to certify Neff's candidacy. The two Republican members voted to accept Neff's candidacy; the two Democrats voted not to accept.
Hoffmann said Blackwell's vote to break the deadlock was not needed because "the requirements of the law are clear." She added that the 4 p.m. deadline is mandated by state law.
"Even if Mr. Neff had had filed his declaration of candidacy by 4:00 p.m., he did not have the required filing fee at the time of the filing ... his declaration of candidacy should not have been accepted," Hoffmann said.
Neff declined to comment until after he has received official notification of the decision. If he were to decide to run as an independent, he would have until 4 p.m. March 6 to file petitions for the November election.
Other candidates for sheriff are Tom Steyer, Tiffin chief of police, and Dennis Brady, Seneca County Jail administrator.