The Jefferson County Election Commission is asking for $200,000 to conduct the November General Election.
An appropriation ordinance for that amount was on the agenda for that amount was recommended for approval by the Finance Committee of the Quorum Court when they met Tuesday. Mike Adam, Chairman of the Election Commission said in a letter to County Judge Gerald Robinson son that costs for laying out the 2022 ballots have increased significantly from the costs I the 2020 election.
After the meeting, Robinson talked about the request.
Adam attached bills from Election Systems and Software (ES&S) which showed the 2020 printing and programing costs were $16,243.42 while this year, those costs have $67,084.73, an increase of more than $50,000 and those were just for a primary.
In addition, the letter explains that technicians are needed to prepare all the voting machines, to deliver the machines to the courthouse and voting sites and pick them up after the election. Funds are also needed for staffing poll sites, training poll workers, rental of poll sites, and office supplies associated with conducting elections.
Also recommended for approval was a $600,000 appropriation for the County Road Department with half of those funds coming from the County Emergency Reserve Fund and the remainder form the American Rescue Plan Fund. Two-thirds of the money will be spent for asphalt, gravel, dirt and sand while the remaining third is for fuel, oil and lubricants and other professional services.
County Road Superintendent Rickey Bullard was asked what the money is going to be used for.
A request from County Clerk Shawndra Taggart to add an additional slot in her office was also recommended for approval.
In a letter to Robinson, Taggart said she has received a resignation letter from her payroll clerk, effective Oct. 14, and will have to mover her voter registration clerk to the payroll clerk. This means training in multiple departments in the midst of the 2022 general election and open enrollment.
“This additional slot will allow proper staffing and assistance with payroll/accounts payable area as we have our yearly human resources duties approaching such as W-2’s, 1099’s, 941’s, Social Security reporting, etc.,” Taggart said in the letter. “We cannot predict illness, death in families, maternity leave, use of personal time, resignations, etc., all of which have occurred within my office this month alone.”
