Taxes Election EIS Committee approves five-year voter registration contract with Governmental Business Systems

The Taxes Election EIS Committee on Aug. 14 voted to award a five-year contract to Governmental Business Systems (GBS) to provide a new voter registration system for LaSalle County.

Brooke Abner, a staff member who presented the bids, told the committee that GBS offered a five-year contract with no price increase during those first five years and a total five-year cost of $370,000. Abner said the county’s current, annual voter-registration cost is $27,000. “We should be reimbursed the entire 98,000, of the initial start up and first year costs, next summer,” Abner said, and she added that she had budgeted $183,500 for the system in the 2024–25 budget, leaving about $85,500 remaining.

Why it matters: The committee’s approval commits the county to a multi-year contract for core election infrastructure and frames the purchase within available budget and expected state reimbursement.

Committee discussion and comparison of bids Abner said Liberty Systems also responded to the county’s bid request; Liberty proposed a four-year contract with a 5% increase each year and a four-year total of $506,925. Abner said staff conducted roughly five-hour demonstrations with each vendor and, with advice from IT staff, recommended GBS as “the lowest responsive and responsible bidder” for LaSalle County’s needs.

Formal action A motion “to accept the bid by Governmental Business Systems” was made by Miss Bernal and seconded by Miss Urich. The committee then took a roll call: Miss Burnell voted “aye”; Wagner was recorded absent; Miss Yurick voted “aye”; Mr. Blue voted “aye”; Mr. James Bailey voted “aye”; and Mr. Tom Templeton voted “aye.” No “no” votes were recorded and the motion passed.

Distinguishing discussion, direction and decision Discussion: Staff described bid terms, installation timing and anticipated state reimbursement and compared vendor pricing and contract escalation clauses. Direction: None recorded that directs staff to make changes to the award; Abner indicated the vendor anticipates an installation in September. Decision: The committee formally accepted GBS’s bid and approved moving the contract forward.

Budget and reimbursement context Abner said the county expects state grant reimbursement of $98,000 for initial start-up and first-year costs, and that the expenditure fits within the 2024–25 budget allocation for voter registration.

Next steps Abner said the vendor anticipates installation in September and that the same presentation may be required at the next quarterly meeting. No additional follow-up tasks, timelines, or reporting requirements were recorded in the transcript.

Ending After the vote the committee proceeded to adjournment; no other substantive election items were discussed in the excerpted transcript.