By Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
Joseph Audino, Belinda Grassi (Vice President), Lori Krenisky (President), Denise Brewster, Jimmielee Vires
They defend each other, even if they knock down a lamppost while drunk. Unfortunately, a school board that lacks moral clarity wants even more of your money.
The Riverside Local School District has placed a continuous 1% earned income tax levy (Issue 7) on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Key Details of Issue 7
- Tax Type: 1% earned income tax on wages, salaries, tips, and self-employment income (does not apply to Social Security, pensions, interest, or dividends).
- Revenue: Generates about $13.7 million annually beginning January 1, 2027.
- Purpose: Funds infrastructure improvements and district operations, specifically a $120 million renovation of Riverside High School, building an academic addition for grades 7 and 8, and demolishing the aging John R. Williams building.
Our response: “We are mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore!”
And then there is Jimmieless Vires’s early morning escapade –
News article from Cleveland 19 News –
Jimmielee Vires, Riverside School board member was arrested and charged with an OVI, showing a .186 BAC.
Read more: https://www.cleveland19.com/…/riverside-schools-board…/
A recent News-Herald article reported that Jimmeelee Vires recently pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence following a reported one-vehicle crash on July 26 in Mentor. The court sentence him to 90 days in jail, but suspended 87 days. He also got one year probation, no alcohol or drugs and a chemical abuse program. The OVI charge is a first-degree misdemeanor. Two other charges with blood alcohol level above .17 and failure to control were dismissed.
So now the question is: “Should Jimmeelee Vires remain a Riverside School Board member?” We did some research and found answers to our questions about removing a school board member.
No, an Ohio school board member cannot be recalled by a public vote.
https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_recall_in_Ohio
Removal Process Instead of Recall:
Ohio law does not have a general recall process for school board members or state-level officials. Instead, a member of a local board of education can only be removed through a formal legal proceeding in a county
https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3.08
“Proceedings for the removal of public officers on any of the grounds enumerated in section 3.07 of the Revised Code shall be commenced by the filing of a written or printed complaint specifically setting forth the charge and signed by qualified electors of the state or political subdivision whose officer it is sought to remove, not less in number than fifteen per cent of the total vote cast for governor at the most recent election for the office of governor in the state or political subdivision whose officer it is sought to remove,…”
Grounds for Removal
A court or jury may remove a school board member only for specific, severe misconduct: (Ohio School Boards Association)
- Gross neglect of duty
- Gross immorality
- Drunkenness
- Other flagrant misconduct in office (Ohio School Boards Association)
Additionally, a school board member is automatically disqualified from office if convicted of a felony. Individual school boards do not have the power to unilaterally remove or discipline fellow board members. (Ohio School Boards Association)
https://www.ohioschoolboards.org/regulating-politics-school-district
Upon checking with the Lake County Board of Elections, we were told that we would need 2,584 signatures (17,224 x 15%) on an amendment to get him removed from the board assuming the Court of Common Pleas agrees that pleading guilty to being drunk and knocking down a lamppost meets their standard of misconduct in office.
Here is Jimmeelee Vire’s’ statements during the last election:
https://www.news-herald.com/2025/11/04/election-2025-audino-grassi-vires-win-riverside-school-board-race/
Vires said that, if elected, he would focus on financial responsibility, community engagement, honesty and transparency.
“I appreciate the teachers for supporting me, and the community for hearing them and showing up,” Vires said in a written statement. “I look forward to getting to work in the new year and making Riverside the best experience possible for our students and families.”
We are demanding that Mr. Vires voluntarily step down as a member of the Riverside School Board. Are the Riverside teachers still supporting Mr. Vires after his conviction for drunkenness and knocking down a lamppost? Are there any moral standards remaining in the Riverside School District?
We have come to the conclusion that the entire public education system in the State of Ohio needs to be COMPLETELY overhauled. Far too many school board members just accept the decisions by the school’s administration. With the abhorrent proficiency scores and declining enrollment, why should we continue to pay 2/3 of our property taxes to a failed public education system.
We have socialists running the State of Ohio. Don’t agree? Watch State Representative Dan Troy pontificate on Ohio’s public school funding.
Categories: Free Speech Zone, Riverside S.D., Uncategorized