Board avoiding layoffs

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Board of Elections is reducing its part-time staff, combining voting precincts and eliminating overtime for full-timers to save money and avoid layoffs.

The board submitted a $1.3 million budget to the county commissioners for this year. It’s the lowest amount it is seeking from the commissioners this decade.

Turnout for this primary and general election is expected to be light, said Thomas McCabe, elections board director, as it typically is during odd-year elections.

The only candidates running in the May 5 primary are in Youngstown and Struthers. Also, voters in Boardman, Green and Beloit and four school districts have levies on the May ballot. In 2007, all precincts in the county were open during the primary because of a countywide sales tax vote. The board spent $1.77 million in 2007.

Even-year elections are more expensive than odd years because all precincts in the county are always open during the primary with much higher voter turnout, Mc- Cabe said. The board spent $2.69 million during last year’s presidential election.

If the commissioners reduce the $1.3 million proposal, the board’s 10 full-time election clerks may have to work four-day work weeks or work nine days every two weeks, McCabe said.

The county is cutting costs because of its troubled financial situation.

Overtime for full-time clerks at the elections board, which was $22,451 in 2007, is gone this year. The clerks will receive compensatory time if they work extra hours rather than overtime this year, McCabe said.

Also, the board will combine precincts for the May primary and November general elections. With fewer precincts, fewer poll workers are needed, McCabe said. That cost will go from $266,283 in 2007 to about $168,000 this year.

In the May primary, there will be 133 precincts rather than the 195 that election would normally use.

There will be 195 precincts in the general election. There are normally 287 precincts in a general election.

“We’ll see how it works and decide what to do [with the number of precincts] for 2010,” McCabe said.

Because turnout is expected to be low this year, the board is budgeting $24,000 for part-time employees. In 2007, the board spent $201,092 on part-timers.

skolnick@vindy.com