Starke County Council Member Fails to Show Up for Election Board Meeting

Posted on February 2, 2019
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

Starke County Council Member Tom DeCola failed to appear before the county election board Friday. DeCola had apparently asked to be on the agenda, but by the end of the meeting, he still hadn’t arrived. “Let the minutes show that a second calling for Mr. Tom DeCola to come before the board after his request was sent to us, and he is not present,” said Board President Peg Brettin. “And the request was in writing.”

This comes after questions about DeCola’s residency were raised during recent county government meetings. Last week, the rest of the county council asked the election board, as well as the Starke County Republican Party, to confirm that DeCola actually lives in the district he represents. DeCola has said he has a certificate of occupancy for a structure at 7410 West 250 South, but Building Inspector Terry Stephenson has denied having one on file.

Council members have also asked DeCola to respond to allegations of misconduct during the Indiana Association of Counties meeting in December.