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Betras questions Mahoning elections board budget increase
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning County Board of Elections wants to increase its 2015 budget by $24,986 compared with 2013 with one member questioning why expenses are increasing when the board plans to eliminate 50 voting precincts.
Officials have said that a reduction of a voting precinct saves about $1,000, so a cut of 50 would save $50,000.
Despite his concerns, board Vice Chairman David Betras, chairman of the county Democratic Party, joined the three other board members Tuesday in voting in favor of the proposed budget.
The budget will be submitted in about two weeks to county commissioners, who will consider it during its 2015 budget process later this year.
“I can’t be in favor of cutting precincts if our budget goes up,” Betras said before the vote. “If we’re going to cut precincts, our budget should go down.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” responded board member Tracey Winbush, county Republican Party vice chairwoman. “There are other expenses.”
“Government should operate more like a business and I hear that more from Republicans than anyone else,” Betras said. “As an institution, we should reduce costs.”
The board’s proposed 2015 budget is $1,862,158 compared with $1,837,172 in 2013.
The board compares the 2015 proposal with the 2013 budget because turnout and expenses in odd-year elections are typically less than in even-year elections, thus making the money needed to run odd-year elections less, said Director Joyce Kale-Pesta, a Democrat.
But among the major increases for 2015 are $33,542 more in health-care premiums, $76,050 for maintenance on voting machines and $70,273 for on-demand printers — 2015 is the first year the board has to pay for the latter two expenses, Kale-Pesta said.
“We’re a public entity that provides fair and honest elections, and that costs money,” she said. “I don’t know where else we can cut.”
Betras ended up voting in favor of the proposal, but said, “I’m going to be very bullish on this budget.”