Title
Budget Amendment - FY25 Elections
Action
ACTION:
Amend the FY 2024 - 2025 Operating Budget Ordinance to appropriate $1,319,161 from Available General Fund Balance, and $879,441 in City Revenue to the Elections department within the General Fund (0001).
Staff Contact: Michael Dickerson, Director of Elections
Adrian Cox, Budget Director
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
The cost to conduct the 2020 presidential election was $2.2 million. The budget for the 2024 presidential election was estimated to be $2.8 million. The election was conducted in a highly effective manor, with a record number of votes and early voting turnout that outpaced previous elections. However, several factors resulted in additional cost that were unknown during the FY2025 budget process. These include:
• The addition of 120 early voting workers at the 33 Early Voting Sites (over 21,600-man hours).
• Pay increases for Election Day staff to assist in recruiting.
• Recruiting an outside professional data-entry temporary employment agency to address the data-entry backlog of over 80,000 applications held in the Voter Registration Database received in October.
• Security concerns led to hiring security companies for coverage at our Early Voting sites and Election Day sites and our Office.
• Additional temp staff to accommodate FOIA requests and two Election Protest Hearings.
• Additional temp staff to service petition requests by candidates.
• The North Carolina Supreme Court ruling and Order to remove RFK, Jr from the ballot, required:
o the additional cost of re-coding and reprinting ballots,
o re-programming and re-testing all of voting equipment,
o hiring additional temp staff to meet the new State Board deadline to complete all the required processes and preparation for mailing by the 45-day Federal deadline.
o major impact on postage, printing costs, including the cost to print new envelopes.
o Lease 1st floor space at 741 Kenilworth Ave to process absentee ballots.
• The contested North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice race, which required the Elections Office to perform a hand machine recount that lasted over five (5) days and required over 100 temp workers, plus staff and a vendor technician to monitor the voting equipment. Logistic delivery companies to move all the voting equipment to and from VCW to the Elections Office on Kenilworth and back to complete the Recount. Post machine recount, the State Board ordered an additional hand/eye recount requiring additional temp staff to assist.
As a result, the 2024 Presidential Election will cost $4,980,251. Sixty percent (60%) of the total cost of the election is paid by the County and 40% by the City of Charlotte per the existing interlocal agreement. An amendment to the County’s FY2025 Budget in the amount of $2,198,602 ($1,319,161 from Available General Fund Balance, and $879,441 from City Revenue) is needed to cover the cost.
PROCUREMENT BACKGROUND:
N/A
POLICY IMPACT:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
The proposed amendment will increase the General Fund (0001) budget for Elections expenses by $2,198,602 and allocate $1,319,161 of available General Fund Balance and increase the estimated City Revenue by $879,441.