ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170016
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
Pulaski County is getting some help in gearing up for the Nov. 5 elections without a registrar.
Roger Edwards, the registrar in Caroline County and a native of Pulaski, and Freddie Williams, a retired Giles County registrar, were both in Pulaski Wednesday morning to volunteer their help.
Edwards said he was volunteering "to give a little bit back to the county" where he grew up.
The county Electoral Board voted to accept their help with thanks and to pay their expenses while they are providing the assistance.
The board also reorganized, with Margaret Farris stepping down as chairwoman and becoming its new secretary instead. Don Sheffey is the new chairman.
The third board member, longtime secretary A.J. Smith Jr., resigned Monday saying a press report had called his truthfulness into question and that he needed to devote more time to his businesses in any case.
Smith, who is a cousin of former registrar Phyllis Hanks, had denied that the board met last Friday. The board had gotten together to hear a statement from Hanks which, it turned out, was not delivered and Sheffey later said the unannounced get-together had been a mistake in procedure.
After Smith resigned and left Monday's meeting, Sheffey and Farris asked for Hanks' resignation. Hanks is awaiting a court hearing on embezzlement charges. She was charged last month with depositing three Bell Atlantic refund checks to the county totaling $1,721 to her personal account.
The Electoral Board, with Farris dissenting, decided Sept. 24 to keep Hanks on the job pending the outcome of her case. After Smith resigned, Sheffey and Farris decided to ask for Hanks' resignation and, when it was not forthcoming, fired her.
Hanks had told the board that she would stay on the job through Nov. 15 and then step down voluntarily, but the board decided to act immediately.
The board met Wednesday for 35 minutes in closed session with Edwards, Williams and Pulaski County Attorney Tom McCarthy.
"To facilitate the work of this board," Farris said after the board returned to open session, "I resign as chairman of this board and nominate Mr. Sheffey as chairman."
She and Sheffey had to take turns making and seconding the motions that left her as secretary and him as chairman, because they are currently the only board members. "The only way you've got a quorum is for you to do that," McCarthy advised.
Both also planned to visit the registrar's office Wednesday, but had to do so separately because their getting together otherwise could be construed as holding a board meeting.
Teresa Burton, the assistant registrar, will undergo training to assume more of the functions of the office until the board can recruit and appoint a temporary registrar. A training session for election officers had already been arranged by Hanks and all workers have been notified of it.
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