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Board preliminarily approves auditor and elections budgets; staff warn of polling‑place constraints
Summary
The board approved the Auditor’s FY26 appropriations and the elections operations budget; staff presented election staffing, mailer costs required by House File 718 and concerns about a shrinking number of ADA‑compliant polling locations.
Sarah Barrows, budget director, and Deputy Auditor Rhonda Batsworth presented the Auditor’s proposed FY26 budget and the elections operations budget on Jan. 22. The board voted to approve total appropriations of $3,868,605 and revenues of $416,500 for the auditor’s budget.
Why it matters: The elections budget includes a mandated voter mailer required by state law (House File 718) and rising operational costs that the auditor’s office said exceed typical guideline calculations. Election‑related costs and polling‑place availability affect how easily residents can vote during local and general elections.
Key details Barrows said the auditor’s administration function is over guidelines by $58,000 largely because the budget includes the statutorily required mailer. Elections staff explained the office compares its election budget to FY2022 figures to match a similar election cycle and reported increases tied to added precincts, higher poll worker pay and the IRS mileage rate.
Deputy Matt (Elections) described cost‑savings efforts, ongoing proposals to reduce envelope and mailing costs via a new voter‑registration system and uncertainty about hardware compatibility with that new system. He told supervisors there are 94 precincts in Linn County and that the office currently uses 79 polling places; Secretary of State guidance and new accessibility requirements have reduced available facilities. “We no longer have waivers as an option,” he said, meaning some long‑used polling places are no longer compliant.
Board action and vote Supervisor (chair) moved to approve the auditor appropriations and the motion passed on a voice vote after a second. The transcript records the voice vote (“Aye”) and the chair saying the motion carries.
Ending note Auditor staff provided KPI detail on polling places and said they will continue to seek accessible sites. They also noted the potential for additional local elections (school/municipal bond questions or vacancies) that could change election‑related costs during FY26.
