By Wayne Gates –
Brown County Attorney Thomas Mayes is the newest member of the Brown County Board of Elections.
Mayes replaces board member Paul Hall, who resigned his position to avoid a potential conflict of interest because his wife, Brown County Auditor Jill Hall, is on the primary ballot in May.
Mayes will serve out the remainder of Hall’s term, which ends in February of 2019.
“I felt very honored that the Brown County Republican Party Executive Committee would think of me to take this role,” said Mayes.
He was officially appointed by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted at the recommendation of the local Republican Party.
He added that he feels that he is stepping into a situation where things are going well.
“I think the board under the guidance of Paul (Hall), Mariah (Votel), Jo Ann (Kattine) and Margery (Paeltz) have gotten things running smoothly and they have a good staff working for them. Everyone is working together and getting things done,” Mayes said.
When asked if he wanted to say anything to the voters of Brown County, Mayes said he wanted to remind everyone to vote.
“Voting is how you get your voice heard. If you want to see change, that’s how you do things, so get out and vote,” Mayes said.
State law requires bipartisan representation on county boards of elections. Each board is made up of two Republican members and two Democratic members.