LC Voting Registrar Stacy Sterner Stepping Down Today

When we think of Lehigh County government, the names Don Cunningham, Jim Martin or Percy Dougherty, immediately come to mind. Those are the names we see in the papers.

But any one of this triumvirate will tell you there are many unsung heroes in county government, from dedicated CYF caseworkers to the persons in Civil Division, who help you get your passport.

Today is the last day for one of these unknowns. After 23 years of County Service, Voting Registrar Stacy Sterner is handing in her absentee ballot.

Every time I've had a complaint or question about a campaign finance report, she's had an answer that very day, even calling in from vacation at times. When Lehigh County officials voted to post expense reports online, Sterner and her office made sure these disclosures were available, sometimes on the very day they were filed.

Former Lehigh County Comm'r Marc Grammes sums up Stacy like this: "It is truly the people's loss. Stacy is a gem. She leads by example. I never worried about the integrity of elections with her group."
She will be sorely missed.

Pawlowski Amends Finance Report, Pays Fine Out of His Own Pocket

Allentown waiters and waitresses, your tips from Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski may be a tad lower than usual this week. He's just had to spend $270 out of his own pocket.

Last week, I informed Stacy Sterner, Lehigh County's chief clerk of voters' registration and elections, that Mayor Ed had improperly used campaign funds. He used donated money to pay a $270 fine - the maximum that can be imposed - for filing his campaign finance reports late. As Sterner told me, "People who contribute to campaigns have a right to expect that candidates will use donated funds to further their campaigns, not to act negligently." My own concern is that it deprives the public of its right to follow the money in a timely fashion. I formally requested Ms. Sterner to take remedial action.

Ms. Sterner has emailed this response. "Dear Mr. O'Hare, I have notified Ed Pawlowski in reference to the $270 expenditure made by his committee. He filed an amended report with me, yesterday, [Monday] indicating that he has reimbursed his committee the $270 out of his personal funds."

You know what? I was at the Lehigh County Government Center on Monday, too. I must have just missed him. I would have loved talking with him about Renaissance Square.

It's disturbing that the Mayor of Pennsylvania's third largest city would have such a cavalier attitude towards campaign disclosure, especially since he has raised $108,588 over the last two years. But I am gratified that Ms. Sterner acted so quickly. And I wish to thank Demothug, who made me aware it is illegal to use donated money to pay a campaign finance fine.