Amount budgeted for November election double the cost of last
year’s
The city’s costs to run its municipal elections through the
county’s Registrar of Voters office have risen dramatically, but
City Council leaders have decided not to pass on the expenses to
candidates
– at least not in this coming November’s contest.
Amount budgeted for November election double the cost of last year’s
GILROY – The city’s costs to run its municipal elections through the county’s Registrar of Voters office have risen dramatically, but City Council leaders have decided not to pass on the expenses to candidates – at least not in this coming November’s contest.
The city has budgeted roughly $112,000 for this November’s election, more than double the budgeted amount for last year’s election.
Meanwhile, the cost to include printed candidate statements in election materials – an expense the city paid last time around – has shot up from $351 a piece to $1,274.
The news delivered by City Clerk Rhonda Pellin last week elicited groans from several Councilmembers, who are trying to deal with the budget squeeze. They also face a more theoretical dilemma: Avoid covering the costs and risk limiting the contest to better-funded candidates – but cover the costs, and ask taxpayers to foot the bill for someone’s political aims.
Councilmembers discussed several options for the optional ballot statements, including paying half of the newly raised cost for the candidate statements, paying the city’s old share and having the candidates cover the difference or paying for the statement but not translations into different languages.
Candidate committees could also cover the rising expenses, but it would trigger reporting requirements, said Mayor Tom Springer.
In the end, the Council decided to cover the candidate statements in their entirety because of the closeness of the next election.
Facing the full $1,200 statement cost would likely wipe out or scare off most candidates, said Councilman Craig Gartman. Springer also worried that passing on the increased expenses could lead people to accuse incumbent Councilmembers of trying to cut off potential opposition.
The rising expenses come as the county is being mandated by the state to implement new electronic voting systems while facing a budget deficit of at least $160 million that could grow depending on how the state deals with its own massive shortfall.
“We’re at the end of the food chain, and we get hit with the bill,” Springer said.
