[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6244383,"mediaKeyId","3230286-cca78bfd6ab37442bac40aeaeddfeba4","parentId",3230286,"title","Election commission exceeds budget on poll-worker costs; audit committee asks budget and state officials for answers","audioSeconds",3274,"startMs",1462000,"endMs",4736000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3230286-cca78bfd6ab37442bac40aeaeddfeba4&start=1462&end=4736","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3230286-cca78bfd6ab37442bac40aeaeddfeba4/thumbnail_1462000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6244383/Sumner-County/Tennessee/Election-commission-exceeds-budget-on-poll-worker-costs-audit-committee-asks-budget-and-state-officials-for-answers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6244383-bad960668a1aadb589348e34cf58f183/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178552&Signature=ETSF~aoHSRgtYgHxxX9cxQwN8XiXcZWwzOx4ac3k3K~HNrQNxQzTib5mDL7nzB1cLcjn6HTswzOCgsiFdiAV-2x7xnykt1NM4Vhn9-BEKXCJPlM9xC8t5lUOA5HtsWpOrXYnJAMsnJ1bfvMiWuM4bKHSZNS9L8aK4VrKLQ8zXpD-G7yjKE1sIDJBCNKBUUPGhxTAmU9WM-AQkdEIH3gE96Dy4S48Uc0tFIPgYlWw95CeDEty0Ri-WjSOKT15JiZmjBuzx99k7IWr~5kqMIMgPCpTlge96EEvYIQsQ85GdLSPIWtbLDxv2dakq3VGyAJGOM~zX-ocrUKCIy1RBoOeGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sumner County, TN","date","2025-05-08T13:13:24Z","article","Sumner County’s audit committee pressed the county’s election commission spending after the election administrator’s payroll for poll workers exceeded approved budgets by roughly $52,000.

“The request from the election commission was $277,219,” a committee analyst said, noting the budget committee estimated $280,000 and the actual expenditures were $332,007.21. Committee members questioned why poll-worker costs rose by roughly 32 percent while registered voters and votes cast did not increase proportionally.

Committee members reviewed benchmarking with nearby counties and possible explanations provided by the election administrator in email: new voting machines that are heavier and require extra staff to move, more poll-worker days, and different early-voting schedules. “She had to actually use more workers to carry them,” the analyst read from the administrator’s email.

Several committee members said the data raise legitimate questions but do not, by themselves, prove mismanagement. “We're right to look at that. But whatever's happening here appears to be happening in the other counties as well,” one commissioner said after reviewing comparative graphs.

The committee voted unanimously to ask the county budget committee to work with Election Administrator Ms. Ashley to identify and explain the overage, the calculation of early-voting days and other operational decisions that affect costs.

Separately, committee members passed a unanimous motion to invite a representative of the state comptroller’s office and a representative from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office to a future meeting to discuss statutory responsibilities, benchmarks and avenues for answers when county committees seek information. The committee recorded the invitation motion as unanimous; members asked staff and legal counsel to coordinate scheduling.

Committee members also discussed how election workers are paid (per day rates), the difficulty recruiting volunteers, and whether heavier machines increase the number of workers or days needed. The committee requested detailed line-item invoices and explanations so the budget committee and staff can determine whether an intra-year appropriation or other administrative change is required.

Background: committee materials showed Sumner County used more early-voting days in 2024 (for the presidential cycle) than some neighboring jurisdictions; the packet listed 31 early-voting “days” for the November cycle in Sumner County and 24 in Montgomery County. The committee asked the budget committee to seek Ms. Ashley’s operational explanations and return with findings to the audit committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Audit Committee (Table) 5/7/25","oneSentenceSummary","Sumner County’s audit committee reviewed a $52,000 overrun in poll-worker costs and unanimously asked the county budget committee to work with the election administrator to explain the difference and early-voting practices.","taxTitle","Sumner County, Tennessee","taxId",19115,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6244388,"Audit committee cites two findings, asks financial managers to cost full consolidation and Kronos surge",1218,286000,1504000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3230286-cca78bfd6ab37442bac40aeaeddfeba4&start=286&end=1504","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3230286-cca78bfd6ab37442bac40aeaeddfeba4/thumbnail_286000.jpg","/articles/6244388/Sumner-County/Tennessee/Audit-committee-cites-two-findings-asks-financial-managers-to-cost-full-consolidation-and-Kronos-surge","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6244388-3e177c64a42e084a0c0c51e4e1e83c8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178552&Signature=XCVbhbFHe2zRuoaS9oIEYHOvEVlMwVZq2P1NOunwX~t4TdCK95Y9ogcfzNtcSWLIbIuFlxaiI8DB7fG~vJe8KYS88~Oky3iikmGIyw9qIixdU-h4yHTGTYqSKUGCbtUi9jO-NbHBRtT4s9mytVLRkdbx6gjPwFbQJthNCMGMElKma3PoqtVJtZNc4ZM6JRO81-TMWcIbi4SgA3bGwxPK8PjU9~fJwG0r0LQT-SAsazxRtv9dADWSqxgLOXpnAarwUWp5gi2x2XoFtA0n8ZS9CtyFrFGpeLibO9mYOrVfRpb2AiKxSXiL196M90i7Z1itOTeoKk3ClWUovY4sWDptPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sumner County’s audit committee reviewed this year’s audit findings and unanimously asked county financial managers to price out a capital-funded surge to complete Kronos timekeeping implementation and consolidation of purchase orders across departments.

The committee focused on two audit items. “Item b is actually the audit findings, and this year, you had 2 audit findings,” Finance Director Mr. Long said. He identified a failure to close the county’s books within 60 days of fiscal year end and problems completing fixed-asset entries as the principal open items.

The committee chair and members discussed a long-running policy question about full financial consolidation. Mr. Long said the state comptroller’s office considers “full consolidation is best practice,” and committee members repeatedly contrasted the county’s private Financial Management Act of 1981 (the '81 act) with the later 2012 public act and a 2019 amendment that changed school participation and timing.

Commissioners and staff debated implementation steps, resources and limits of the audit committee’s authority. One commissioner asked whether the county had made progress on bringing the highway department’s purchase orders into the county system; Mr. Long and others said progress had been hampered by competing priorities and staff capacity. “If we want this to go faster, you would need more personnel in the finance department,” one committee member said.

After discussion, a commissioner moved that the finance department prepare a modular project estimate showing the cost to surge-implement Kronos and consolidate purchase orders — for example as one-year and two-year capital project options — and return to the county with a timeline. The mover modified the request to ask the financial management committee to coordinate the work. The committee voted and the motion passed unanimously.

The committee also debated whether it has authority to direct other offices or only to shine a light and make recommendations. Members agreed to route the request to the financial management committee so that the budget committee and finance staff could develop cost estimates and policies for possible adoption.

Background: audit materials in the packet show historically higher numbers of findings (21 in an earlier year) and a substantial reduction over time; this year’s two findings contrast with several prior years of fewer or no findings. The long-running consolidation discussion has a complex history in Sumner County, with prior attempts to centralize purchasing and timekeeping interrupted by policy choices and a 2019 amendment that excluded schools from the public 2012 act.

The committee set a target for staff to produce the cost-and-timeline estimates after the current budget work is complete, with staff suggesting a January return for a detailed project plan if the budget cycle permits.","Sumner County audit committee reviewed two audit findings including late year-end close and fixed-asset records, discussed consolidation options under competing acts ('81 and 2012), and unanimously asked financial management to cost a capital project to accelerate Kronos implementation and countywide purchase-order consolidation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Election commission exceeds budget on poll-worker costs; audit committee asks budget and state officials for answers

Audit committee cites two findings, asks financial managers to cost full consolidation and Kronos surge