Madera County supervisors approve resolution to preserve $490,000 in Voters Choice Act funding

The Madera County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 31 approved a resolution to preserve $490,000 in state Voters Choice Act funding and to authorize the county clerk-recorder to execute elections reimbursement agreements, the board said in a 4-0 roll call vote.

County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Rebecca Martinez told the board she requested the year-end special meeting to avoid losing the funding after learning her signature authority had lapsed. "If I can't get a definitive answer, I could not, in good conscience, let that expire? I cannot let that money go," Martinez said during her presentation.

The resolution delegates to Martinez the authority to execute the state reimbursement agreements retroactively to June 30, 2024, and sets an expiration of Aug. 31, 2026 to match the length of the extended contract, according to Martinez's account to the board. Martinez said she had executed a state contract on Dec. 26 but was later told by staff in the Secretary of State's office that her authority had expired on June 30, 2024.

Why it matters: the Voters Choice Act funding is intended to support local voting system replacement and related election costs. Martinez told the board that without the action the county would lose $490,000 in state funding tied to that program.

Background and board action: Martinez said the board previously adopted Resolution No. 2021-072 granting authority to sign contracts for voting system replacement funding. She also said a separate resolution, No. 2022-042, had been provided to the Secretary of State's office and gave authority through Jan. 4, 2027, but county staff had not received a definitive confirmation that that resolution alone would preserve the funding. Because time was limited, Martinez requested the special meeting and asked the board to adopt a new resolution that specifically delegates authority retroactively to June 30, 2024 and through Aug. 31, 2026.

There were no public comments on the item. A supervisor moved and a second was recorded; the board conducted a roll call and recorded a 4-0 vote of approval (Supervisors Gonzales, Wolamoff, Rogers and Chairman Porteous recorded as voting yes). The clerk thanked the board, and the meeting was adjourned.

The resolution authorizes the Clerk-Recorder to execute elections reimbursement agreements tied to Voters Choice Act funding and is intended to ensure the county can use the state funds associated with the contract Martinez said she signed on Dec. 26.