Carroll County Election Board members John Brown, Denise Strasser and county clerk Nancy Mattox met last week to review in detail the information used to develop ballots for the November General Election. They also reviewed sample ballots with information supplied by the clerk’s office and inputted into the database by Elections Software and Service (ES&S).

Mattox explained the next step is to convey the changes and additions in the data to ES&S for another set of sample ballots. She said the second set of sample ballots should be finished by Sept. 8.

Mattox was directed to forward them by E-mail to Brown and Strasser for review.

Budget

Strasser reported that her calculations indicate the election board will suffer a shortfall of roughly $23,000 for 2010. She said that she did not want to “incur new debt” without the county council’s knowledge.

“I don’t feel comfortable with them not knowing,” Brown agreed.

The clerk did not agree. Mattox said she preferred to present a more accurate number based on outstanding bills after the election rather than a rough estimate.

The group decided to recess the meeting to attend a county council meeting in progress in the commissioners meeting room to inform them about the situation.

Mattox presented Strasser’s financial information to the council during the business portion of the current budget hearings. She also informed them that ES&S have indicated to her that they are reluctant to provide further service for the upcoming election until a bill for more than $7,000 from last May is paid.

An additional appropriation from the general fund for the bill, which had been previously presented by Mattox, was tabled at the August council meeting. It is expected that the council will act on the request for the advertised additional appropriation at a Sept. 16 business meeting.

The next election board meeting will be Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. in the commissioners meeting room. The public is invited to attend.