Two members of the Knox Park Board are not eligible to serve. According to Knox City Council Attorney, David Matsey, the Ex-Officio members of the Board, Irene Szakonyi and Kurt Snearly, are not members of the Boards that named them to the Park Board.
By definition, an Ex-Officio member of a board is there by virtue of holding another office. The Ex-Officio members of the Park Board were named by the Starke County Library Board and the Knox Community School Board. Since neither are part of those Boards, they are not eligible to serve.
The Knox Park Board is made up of six members. Four are named by the Mayor of Knox. Matsey said if the Library and School Boards did not want to name one of their own, the Board could go with only four members.
The matter was tabled at last week’s meeting until the Mayor sorts out the confusion, and either gets two new members, or recommends the park board go to four members.
