Election officials ask for new facilities, equipment and staff pay; litigations cost county tens of thousands

Tammy Brown and Sarah Zorch of the Jackson County Election Board described multiple FY26 requests to the budget committee, including a long‑standing request for a consolidated elections building with training and warehouse space, phased replacement of aging 'electriver' rotary storage units (roughly $70,000 each), and modest wage increases for four long‑time staff whose pay currently lags part‑time rates.

Brown said the board has more than 260,000 registered voters in Eastern Jackson County and lacks a VPN and routine access to budget materials, complicating budgeting and planning. She told the committee her office spent about $8,000 on attorneys in connection with a recent contested election.

Representatives for the Kansas City Election Board described a $3.6M recommended COMBAT‑linked line in the county packet versus their own $4.54M projection for the COMBAT share; Kansas City directors also reported roughly $72,000 in litigation fees tied to the former county executive-related cases that affected election administration.

Legislators and the county executive discussed coordination between county and city election offices, how equipment and operational costs are accounted for across funds, and whether litigation expenses should be borne by the county or the separate election boards. Committee members asked boards to provide clearer cost breakdowns and to submit site tours and timeline estimates so legislators can evaluate capital and operating requests.

Next steps: Election boards will provide detailed fund‑by‑fund breakdowns, equipment replacement schedules and wage proposals; administration will clarify how those requests fit the recommended budget and whether some items should be funded as amendments or by other regional partners.