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Clare County commissioners approve $5,000 payment to election-reporting vendor after earlier tie
Summary
After a March tie vote left a software purchase unresolved, commissioners voted to pay a $5,000 setup fee to ElectionSource so the county will have an election-night reporting site for the upcoming elections; the payment drew debate over a prior verbal authorization and use of county funds.
Clare County commissioners voted to pay a $5,000 setup fee to ElectionSource to provide an election-night reporting website for the county, concluding a contentious discussion about whether the county should be billed after staff gave a verbal go‑ahead earlier this year.
The payment was approved after a motion to reconsider passed and a roll-call vote that recorded one dissent. The vendor’s CEO, Jared, said the product provides near-real-time precinct-level reporting, media exports and customization for Clare County and argued it reduces calls to the clerk’s office and increases transparency.
Laurie, the county clerk, told the board the item had been before commissioners in March and that a 4–4 tie left the purchase unapproved. She said she and staff proceeded with a verbal authorization because of timing pressures ahead of the February election and later received a $5,000 bill for setup plus a $1,500 annual fee. "I didn't realize there was going to be a contract," Laurie said, describing the sequence as a miscommunication she regretted.
Jared acknowledged that vendors sometimes proceed after verbal confirmation to meet tight election schedules. "A lot of times we move forward with work just with verbals and conversations with our customers," he said, adding the company needs time to build and test the site before Election Day.
Board members debated whether the county should absorb the cost after the earlier tie vote and whether accepting payment now effectively ratified a verbal commitment that the board had previously failed to approve. One commissioner said paying the setup fee was pragmatic so the county would have the service available for August and November elections; another said the board’s prior non-approval should be respected.
After discussion, the board voted to approve payment of the $5,000 setup fee so the site could be prepared for the upcoming elections. The motion carried; the roll-call recorded one "No" vote (Gilmore) and the chair declared the motion carried.
Next steps: county staff will finalize payment and confirm whether the annual $1,500 service fee will be incurred beginning in the next contract year. The vendor said the $1,500 recurring fee would not take effect until the following year.
