Stamper to Resign, Rejoin County Commission in January

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Lewis County Commissioner Gary Stamper resigned his position Friday, ending his term a month early but pledging to serve the new term beginning in January for which he was reelected.

The move was necessary, he said, because he has not been able to collect his school pension, for which he needed to have a 30-day gap in employment after serving as the principal at White Pass High School. Stamper moved directly from the educator role to the county commission without being aware that it would prevent him from receiving the the pension.

“I didn’t realize that,” he said. “Hindsight is 20-20.”

After being elected to another term in November, Stamper knew that mean another four years of not being able to collect the pension. That’s when he decided to end his first term early, accruing the unemployment time he needed before rejoining the board when his next term begins. 

“There’s really no good time, but this is probably the best time,” he said, pointing out that the board has only three legislative meetings in December and the holiday season is less busy in general for the government. “This is the only time I’ll have that opportunity for the next four years.”

The new term will begin on Jan. 2.

Initially, Stamper said, he asked state officials if he could forgo his salary for a month while remaining on the commission. He was told that wouldn’t pass legal muster, and he would have to resign altogether.

Stamper’s counterparts, Commissioners Edna Fund and Bobby Jackson, will appoint a placeholder from the 3rd District to serve out the last month of Stamper’s term. Reached Friday afternoon, Fund said the commission will follow customary procedure for making that selection, soliciting three names from the Lewis County GOP Central Committee, then making a selection from those candidates. It’s a process Fund was part of in 2016 when former Commissioner Bill Schulte became ill.

“When there’s a vacancy such as that, then the party who has the incumbent in is asked to give us three names,” she said.

The GOP Central Committee is next meeting Monday evening.



Former Toledo Mayor Jerry Pratt, who ran against Stamper in a mostly friendly campaign this cycle, said he had not heard of the pending resignation. He joked that if he’d won the election, Stamper’s resignation would not have been necessary.

“I haven’t heard a thing,” he said, “I tried to do him a favor and beat him.”

While he’s off the commission in December, Stamper said he will still be attending meetings to make sure he knows what’s going on — he just won’t have a vote.

“I’m going to be in the crowd, I’ll just be on the other side,” he said.

Fund said his absence won’t impede the commission’s work.

“Things will continue on,” she said. “I’m glad it’s only for a month. … I will still refer to him as commissioner-elect.”

The time off will also allow him to spend more time with his family, including a brand-new granddaughter.

“I love this job, but this will be a good time to do it,” he said.