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Cairo council adopts ordinance allowing contract with Grady County to run city elections
Summary
The Cairo City Council adopted an ordinance enabling the city to contract with Grady County to conduct municipal elections and approved a follow-up intergovernmental agreement to use county election equipment for the June election.
The Cairo City Council on March 24 adopted an ordinance authorizing the city to contract with Grady County to conduct municipal elections and later approved a specific intergovernmental agreement for the upcoming June election.
The ordinance, presented as a general authorization to enter intergovernmental agreements with the county, passed after a second and a vote in favor. Council members said the ordinance creates flexibility to contract the county “on an election-by-election basis” or under a broader, longer-term arrangement.
Council members then considered a separate, specific agreement for the June election. The agreement lays out that the county will provide voting equipment and related support; according to remarks in the meeting, the county will not charge the city unless the city’s use of equipment causes additional costs to the county. The council approved that agreement in the same meeting.
City and county staff described months of negotiations involving city staff (identified in the meeting as Dana, Booker and others) and county representatives, including county counsel, to finalize terms. The city attorney and county counsel reviewed details to ensure the agreement covers equipment, costs and responsibilities.
Council members asked for clarification that the ordinance itself does not automatically contract the county for every election; the ordinance permits agreements but each election or term still requires a separate agreement unless the council chooses to negotiate a broader standing agreement.
The council’s approvals came with standard motions and votes recorded as “all in favor” on the meeting record. The meeting transcript does not show roll-call vote tallies or individual yes/no votes for these items.
The approvals will allow the city to use the county’s machines and services for the June election pending the signed intergovernmental agreement. No ordinance number or further procedural deadlines were specified in the discussion at the meeting.
