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Story County auditor frames FY27 budget around rising election costs for hotspots, poll workers
Summary
Auditor Lucy Martin told county staff on Feb. 9 that the FY27 budget will absorb higher election-administration costs — notably an up-to-$15,000 estimate for mobile hotspots and poll-worker pay that makes up about 60% of election expenses — while relying on supplemental funds and reimbursements where available.
Story County Auditor Lucy Martin presented the auditor's office FY27 budget request on Feb. 9, flagging rising election-administration costs driven by new device and vendor pricing and by increases in mandated mailings.
Martin said the budget reflects both recurring expenses (software contracts and maintenance) and one-time or cyclical costs tied to elections. "15,000 is kind of like the high point," she said of the office's current estimate for MiFi hotspots. She also noted that poll workers "are probably 60% of it right there," identifying poll-worker pay, mailing and ballots as the largest single expense components.
Why it matters: the auditor's office is responsible for running elections across Story County's 48 precincts. Changes in vendor pricing, carrier consolidation and state-driven mailing requirements can shift local costs and affect whether the county must draw on the supplemental fund, levy reimbursements to cities and school districts, or reallocate general-fund dollars.
Key budget components and clarifications -…
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