Cost-savings elections report released

Election season is now in full swing. At our polling places, we have new voting machines, which came about as a result of the federal Help Americans Vote Act of 2002 and the state’s counterparts: Election Reform Modernization Act and Election Consolidation and Improvement Act, both of 2005.

These acts had a huge impact on the cost to put on elections locally. For the past seven months the Dutchess County Elections Oversight Committee, which I chair, has been reviewing the cost of elections to understand why elections have risen, and more importantly how we can help drive down the rising cost.

Our report, “The Legislator’s Guide to Cost-Savings at the Dutchess County Board of Elections,†was delivered to the full Legislature during the first week of October. In a 57-page report (available at co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/1282.htm) we reported on the legal construct of the Board of Elections, as an independent body that in part reports to the County Legislature for appropriations, the State Board of Elections for process and procedure, the county political parties for purpose, and with respect to management it is completely autonomous to the decision-making of its partisan election commissioners (as underscored by several recent court cases including one decided here in Dutchess County).

Since the implementation of state and federal statutes:

• Spending has increased 220 percent from $874,000 in 2005 to $2,451,897 in 2010.

• Staffing has increased from 12 in 2004 to 18 in 2010.

• Salaries have increased drastically with percentages of annual raises (all determined by the election commissioners) sometimes varying from 8.2 percent, 9.1 percent or 5.8 percent (all in 2002) at a time when other county employees only received 2 to 3 percent.

•  Commissioner salaries grew from $66,900 in 2002 to $85,275 in 2010, while deputy commissioner salary (of which there are two) grew from $55,000 in 2002 to its current rate of $73,000.

• The lowest-paid employee went from $32,155 in 2002 to $44,157 in 2010.

 Over two-thirds of the County Board of Elections budget each  year goes to salaries of full-time employees. Additionally, $36,500 was spent between January and just before the September primary election to employ part-time temporary help to assist with Poughkeepsie operations.

This does not include the cost of election inspectors, election coordinators or machine technicians who assist on the days of election. Inspectors (four per district) currently receive $215 per general election; in 2005 that same inspector was only paid $100 in the town of Washington, or $148.75 in Pleasant Valley.

Our recommendations call for a leaner Board of Elections; staggered appropriations based upon need not forecasts; reduction in employee pay; emphasis on transitioning to a system of seasonal staffing; greater dialogue among party leaders and legislators in commissioner appointments including discussions about reducing it to a part-time position; reconsideration of inspector pay; consolidating election coordinators, as well as reducing the number of election districts from 249 to 156.

The right to vote is sacred, but so also is the right not to be taxed out of home to pay for it.

Michael Kelsey is chairman of the Elections Oversight Committee of the Dutchess County Legislature. He represents Amenia, Washington, Stanford, Pleasant Valley and Millbrook. Write him at KelseyESQ@yahoo.com.

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