Trustees race muddled with junk car spat

SANDUSKY TOWNSHIP -- Sandusky Township trustees question the ethics of two men running for trustee on the November ballot.

Mike Gabler, 920 S. Horning Road, and Roy Campo, 209 S. Horning Road, attended a meeting last September passing out information regarding junk cars. Campo, with the support of Gabler, claimed the information came from the Ohio Revised Code. The pair is running against incumbent trustees Dan Gorbett and Phil Jackson.

Campo's information, which cited an ordinance on junk vehicle abatement, claimed he was entitled to four vehicles on private property of two acres or greater.

"We'd never heard of this before and so, at the time, we weren't really sure what to say," Jackson said. "We just said we would get back to him on the issue."

After research, Jackson said the ordinances Campo cited were referenced from Clallam County, in the state of Washington.

"It actually was an old (Revised Code of Washington) and doesn't even exist today," Gorbett said.

A letter was mailed out immediately to all citizens who attended the meeting, providing them with the accurate information. Gorbett said the township has had continual problems with junk cars on Campo's property.

Jackson said they've received numerous complaints, including one from Campo's wife.

Trustee Tom Glauer said Campo has not returned to a meeting since.

Neither Gabler nor Campo returned calls from the News Journal.

"Campo and Gabler should know better than to pass off zoning aspects of Washington's state law as an Ohio law to support their claims," Gorbett said. "If they were unaware they were presenting false documentation by using Washington state laws then they may struggle with other aspects of the trustee job."

"This was a feeble attempt to sidestep resident-approved zoning regulations by handing out false information," Jackson said. "We (Sandusky Township) have a lot of car enthusiasts, and unless there is a complaint, we have no issues with it. When there is a complaint however, we look into it, as we were elected to do. Mr. Campo's case was an extreme one and it was moving from a hobby to a junk yard."

jkinton@nncogannett.com 419-521-7220

NEW SOURCE