by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
This is not the first time Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland has broached the subject of moving the City’s spring elections to the fall to coincide with presidential election years. But, given the current budget situation, this may be his best shot at convincing the mayor or voters — or both — that there’s no better time to seriously look at the issue.
“Obviously, with the concerns with the budget and the mayor saying he wants to look at every aspect of savings, then we need to look at moving the elections,” said Holland.
According to Holland, moving the spring 2011 elections to the fall of 2012 would save his office — and taxpayers — between $2 million and $2.6 million. The move would also grant nine City Council members and four constitutional officers an extra year-and-a-half on their second terms. The 10 new Council members would also get an extension on their first terms.
Holland has long said it makes sense on two levels to move the elections. Aside from the cost savings, Holland believes moving the elections will dramatically increase voter turnout and doesn’t agree with the argument that the local elections would get lost among the presidential election and other national issues.
“We had a 19 percent turnout for the primary (in March) and a 9 percent turnout for the general election in the spring (April),” said Holland. “We made some adjustments, but those elections cost about $2 million. They go into the budget as $2.6 million in case of a busy turnout.”
Holland has taken the issue to the mayor’s office. Chief of Staff Steve Diebenow told Holland via e-mail he’d be happy to meet with him about the issue, but not until after Sept. 25, when the final City budget for fiscal year 2007-08 is approved.
“Adam (Hollingsworth, Mayor John Peyton’s chief of policy) and I will certainly take the time to meet with you to discuss this, and any other ideas you may have to save money, at the appropriate time,” said Diebenow. “The mayor has made it clear to us that everything is on the table for consideration if the Constitutional Amendment passes in January.”
One Florida city did recently vote to move its elections to coincide with presidential elections. By a 58-42 vote, the citizens of Marathon in the Keys approved a non-binding referendum to move Marathon elections from March to November. The Marathon City Council also approved the referendum by a 4-1 vote. Council member Mike Cinque opposed the change citing the fact the current Marathon Council members would gain eight months on their terms.
Marathon Mayor Chris Bull didn’t support the referendum, but didn’t have a say in the matter, either. Bull says the Keys as a whole have such unique issues to deal with — and unique solutions to those issues — he supported leaving the system as it was. Bull said he understood the cost savings — although with just 11,000 residents and voter turnouts of about 25 percent, the cost savings may not prove too dramatic — but appreciated local elections receiving their own focus.
“I wanted to keep the election in March,” said Bull, who was first elected in 2004 and re-elected last year. “The March elections get people talking about the issues that most affect the community. People stay informed and the issues are more thoroughly contemplated.”
Bull said the City of Marathon didn’t do anything about the referendum from a public relations standpoint.
“We put it on the ballot as a referendum and let the different groups fight it out,” he said. “Some people put up signs and others wrote letters to the editor.”
Holland said he has run his idea past Tax Collector Mike Hogan and Property Appraiser Jim Overton — both of whom support the change. Sheriff John Rutherford, he said, was a bit tepid in his response and Clerk of the Court Jim Fuller’s election already coincides with presidential election years.
Holland said the last time he proposed the idea, the mayor’s office opposed the plan. This time, he’s figuring the dire straits created by the property tax reform will change some opinions.
“If they are really serious about saving the taxpayers money, they’ll look at this,” said Holland.