Monroe County Election Board members on June 5 reviewed a proposed services contract with B and L, the county’s IT vendor for election equipment maintenance and support, and voiced support for the contract while asking that the county be protected from subcontractor liability before the county commissioners sign it.

Board members and county officials said the contract covers preventative maintenance, battery replacement and on-call troubleshooting for voting equipment the county owns, and that the agreement includes a not-to-exceed amount for non-election-year work. Monroe County Commissioner Julie Thomas told the board she was concerned about transparency in the contract and said, “there’s a hundred thousand dollars in non election year cost that goes to this particular company.”

The board heard from a B and L representative, identified in the meeting as Mr. White, and from elections staff. Staff said B and L has worked with the county for more than 11 years and handles on-site support during early voting and on election day. Mr. White described the company’s role as providing hands-on maintenance and support and confirmed that the firm has not required the county to seek additional appropriations in past years. When asked about the $100,000 figure, staff said it is an upper limit and that the county has not exceeded that amount in prior years; Mr. White agreed, saying, “That is fair.”

Commissioner Thomas and other participants asked for clearer contract documentation on scope, cost structure and subcontractor arrangements, including whether a listed team of 20 are direct employees or subcontractors. A member of the board suggested including a memorandum of understanding or indemnity language that would protect the county from liability tied to subcontractors before the commissioners sign the contract. Elections staff said some requested clarifications had been provided in a letter from Mr. White responding to commissioner questions.

The board recorded a motion to state its support for the contract; the motion carried by voice vote. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally. The board’s support was expressed as a recommendation to the commissioners, who must execute the final contract. The board also requested that subcontractor liability protections be included in final documents before the commissioners sign.

Background and context: County staff said the vendor works with Hart (the equipment manufacturer) for software and licensing and that B and L’s charges have historically been lower than bringing the manufacturer on-site from out of state. Board members and commissioners also discussed storage arrangements for election property; that topic is covered in a separate article about equipment storage and facilities plans.

The board did not adopt a formal resolution on the contract at the meeting; it recorded its support and asked for contract clarifications prior to county-commissioner approval.