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EN HILLS <br />MEMORANDUM <br />DATE: October 10, 2011 <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilme ber <br />FROM: Patrick Klaers, City Administrator <br />SUBJECT: Elections <br />Background/Discussion <br />During the review of the 2012 budget proposal, Sue and I began discussing the costs and <br />risks associated with conducting the municipal elections. Discussion items included: the <br />recently proposed Voter ID legislation (as an example of how complicated and technical <br />elections are becoming), the liability and financial exposure of the City to lawsuits related <br />to recounts and contested election procedures, and the need for including an election <br />requirement /experience in the position description for the Deputy Clerk position. <br />Staffs review of the election issues led us to contact Joe Mansky, Ramsey County <br />Elections Manager, regarding the City contracting with the County for election services. <br />Ramsey County personnel are full -time professionals in the "elections business" and are <br />already doing school elections in Arden Hills. Joe was happy to meet with us to consider <br />our request because what happens during elections in municipalities reflects upon the <br />County (remembering the state -wide Governor's recount) and due to the fact that Mounds <br />View and Roseville had already requested election proposals from the County. <br />( "Networking" with staff from Mounds View got us thinking about asking the County for <br />a proposal.) The County will only be considering contracts with Arden Hills, Mounds <br />View, and Roseville for 2012 and any other City wanting to contract with the County for <br />election services will have to wait until 2013 for consideration. <br />Attached is the Ramsey County proposal. The proposal is identical to the Mounds View <br />proposal except that the price of our proposal is less. <br />The proposal from the County for all of the required elections services is $31,000 or <br />$15,500 per year. We would want to pay half of the 2012 election expense in 2011 and <br />the other half in 2012 to even out the expenses on an annual budget cycle. Excluding <br />City Council Meeting <br />P:\Admin \Council\Agendas & Packet Information\2011 \ 10 -10 -11 Work Session\Packet Information\ 10 -10 -11 2012 Budget <br />Update.doc <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />