In Attendance:
Thomas Mahoney (Chairman)
Ernestine Jones (Vice Chair, D)
Malinda Hodge (D)
Marianne Heimes (R)
Deborah Rauers (R)
…..
Russell Bridges (Supervisor)
Lynn Trabue (Assistant Elections Supervisor)
Vice Chair Selection
Currently serving Vice Chair: Vice Chair Jones. Vice Chair Jones is willing to continue serving or to relinquish her seat to a new Vice Chair.
Member Rauers asks how often Vice Chairs rotate.
Supervisor Bridges responds: yearly. Selections usually take place in December, but Vice Chair Jones was ill last meeting.
Member Heimes nominates Vice Chair Jones to serve again, noting that she’s done a “very fine job” and a “wonderful job of handling the meetings, when we were without a chairman.”
Vice Chair Jones notes that she’s happy to continue to serve as long as she’s able.
Motion that Vice Chair Jones continues to serve as Vice Chair for another year passes unanimously.
Member Bridges presents proposed budget, for the board to consider before delivering to the county
Current year’s budget + proposed budget for next year
Staffer Salaries
- Member Heimes moves to placehold additional funds to even potential salary inequities that may be illuminated in March. Specifically, two individuals (Bob and Tameka) have similar responsibilities but are paid differently. Bob is paid less than Tameka.
- Member Rauers moves to grant raises of 20% overall for four staffers. Also moves that Bob be given a raise, to bring him up to Tameka’s salary amount.
- Member Heimes also wants to look into adding more to Lynn’s salary. Moving Lynn’s salary up to “around 50k,” from “around 40k.”
- Lynn last got a merit raise in around 2008, guesses Supervisor Bridges.
- Board will come back at a later meeting to refine the distribution of the additional salary designations at a later time.
Poll Worker Salaries
- Supervisor Bridges recommends that poll workers get paid a little more this year (about $20 per day extra) and that they also get paid slightly more for their training (about $20 extra there, as well). Would amount to about $62,000 extra from the budget for poll worker salary, total. Unanimous approval from the board.
Member Rauers: there are a lot of moving parts here that we’re discussing (re: the budget). Salaries and insurance/maintenance on our machines, etc.
Chairman Mahoney: We have a deadline of Monday.
Member Rauers: How long have you known about this??
Supervisor Bridges: I’ve been working on this since our last meeting.
Chairman Mahoney: we just have to submit an initial request to the county on Monday.
Supervisor Bridges: normally, if we put in a budget line in the initial request, we can take it back out if we change our minds [but impliedly, the reverse wouldn’t work. i.e. not having a buget line in the initial request but trying to add it in later].
Member Rauers: I move that we submit the budget as is and don’t ask for money for more machines.
Member Heimes: Even if we don’t need them now, if we don’t get them now, some other county will [speaking about used, discounted machines that the board could purchase right now].
Member Rauers: we’re more out of poll workers than we’re out of machines right now.
Member Heimes: you can’t do anything if you don’t have the machines.
Vice Chair Jones: moves that we put in the budget line for the new machines now, with the understanding that it could be taken out later, if the board decides against purchasing the machines.
*All vote “aye,” aside from Member Rauers, who votes “nay.”*
Additional poll workers and polling machines
Supervisor Bridges proposes to add 75 additional poll workers, to check driver’s licenses and make sure the forms are properly cared for.
Member Rauers: the issue is not the number of poll workers; it’s that our poll workers aren’t properly trained.
Proposal denied.
Budget workshop discussion
Member Rauers asks that the board reconvene before the next meeting (which is scheduled for after the election). States that the board has just too much to consider, especially considering that the board will have a number of post-election related topics to consider in the next scheduled meeting.
Chairman Mahoney suggests a budget workshop, before the next monthly meeting.
Letter to the Accounting Department About the Audit
Member Rauers: Last meeting, the board had asked that a letter be sent last month to the accounting department about the audit.
Supervisor Bridges indicates that he’s working on it.
Soil & Water Conservancy Election Request
Conservancy has asked the board to hold an election, which they can do as part of an existing election.
Supervisor position is nonpaid but the individual is responsible for raising funds for environmental issues. The Conservancy is asking that the board hold an election for the position but will issue the required notices on their own.
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