Board reviews FY27 budget request, proposes pay increase for seasonal staff and poll workers

Buncombe County elections staff presented the first FY27 budget overview on Dec. 8, focusing on the cost drivers for upcoming elections and a staffing pay proposal intended to improve recruitment.

Victoria, presenting the budget request, said early voting and election‑day staffing, site operations and supplies are the largest cost drivers and proposed raising in‑house seasonal staff pay from $17 to $18 per hour. Staff also said they aim to align Election Day poll worker pay with early‑voting rates to address a drop in applicants from contracted staffing providers. “Comparable positions… are paying $19 to $20 an hour, and we are currently paying $17,” Victoria said, noting the request to move in‑house seasonal pay to $18/hour and that agency markups change the effective employer cost.

Staff recommended budgeting for 12 early‑voting sites for the general election, but the board asked for analysis of the budget impact of adding two more sites. Victoria described a constraint on equipment: Buncombe currently has 140 express‑vote machines for the county, and staff discussed whether to pursue leased commercial sites that provide better parking or to buy additional machines (quoted cost in the meeting roughly $3,500 per express‑vote unit).

The budget overview also included a $20,000 request for board legal counsel and funding to rent training space if county space cannot be secured. Board members asked staff to provide classification and salary‑band information from the county transparency portal and requested staff bring more detailed numbers and options to the Jan. 6 meeting with the Assistant County Manager.

No final appropriations were made at the meeting; staff will present detailed line items and requested salary‑structure information at future budget review sessions.