Monroe County amends IT vendor renewal to require subcontractor background checks for election work

Monroe County commissioners on Thursday amended and approved a two-year renewal of an IT services contract for election support that adds criminal background checks for subcontractors and incorporates statutory restrictions that apply to poll workers.

County election supervisor Kylie Farris told the Board that BNL IT Services LLC has provided IT support to the Clerk’s Office for more than a decade and that the Election Board had unanimously approved a revised contract. The board then heard concerns from Commissioner Jones about subcontractors who work around election equipment and whether the public could be reassured about security.

"Election day is a bit different because, you know, there's nobody left alone with the equipment," Farris said, describing how the vendor's team generally works together and that Hart (the programming vendor) performs programming and encryption. Robert White, owner of BNL IT Services, told the board his subcontractors “do not come into work unless I am present” and said he would have no problem submitting to a background check himself. "All my people will pass. I have no concern about that," White said.

County Counsel Turner King explained there were two pieces of contract language under discussion: a criminal-background-check requirement for subcontractors and the statutory restrictions that already apply to poll workers (for example, categories of people who are ineligible to serve on election day). Jones and other commissioners pushed for both additions to give the public greater assurance about security.

Turner King read the proposed language into the record and the board moved to amend the renewal to include both the background-check language and the statutory poll-worker restrictions. The motion to amend carried 3-0, and the board subsequently approved the amended renewal 3-0.

The commissioners and the clerk’s office discussed practical details on the cost and scope of background checks during the meeting. Commissioners noted an approximate figure for the cost of a check discussed during the meeting as about $10–$15 per person and an approximate headcount of subcontractor personnel at about 20. The transcript shows the vendor agreed the subcontractors could undergo checks if required.

The amended contract as described at the meeting covers an expenditure in 2025 not to exceed $100,000 from fund 1215 and extends into 2026 with a two-year cap not to exceed $350,000. The board’s approval authorized county staff to finalize and execute the amended renewal.

The record shows the change was requested during the public contract item on the July 10 agenda, was amended on motion, and was approved unanimously. No additional public comment was offered on the amendment at the meeting.