Bluff council questions San Juan County election costs, weighs running its own election

Bluff council members on May 20 criticized recent cost calculations from San Juan County (SJC) for administering town elections and discussed whether the town should attempt to run its own elections to save money.

Town Manager Erin Nelson explained that SJC provided updated election-cost figures and that an interlocal agreement rate increase is pending. Nelson said the town has not yet signed the latest version of the interlocal agreement and that a meeting with election official Lyman Duncan is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27 to review the numbers.

Nelson warned that running a town-run election requires a strict chain of custody and secure printing for ballots and envelopes; those requirements can be difficult for small towns to meet on short notice. She said SJC provided previous services for about $12,000–$15,000, which may not be cost-effective for Bluff but does reduce the town’s exposure to administrative errors.

Councilmember Britt Hornsby said the county’s timing was problematic and urged a pushback on the proposed assignment and rate. "This is illegal," Hornsby said, arguing the notice to the town was too short and expressing eagerness to "dispute [the] SJC Commission and negotiate a reduced rate." Hornsby suggested cost-reduction options including trained volunteer poll watchers, locally sourced interpretive services, and negotiating to exclude county employee salary costs from the rate.

Councilmembers asked staff to follow up, obtain the prior-year invoice for comparison, and report back at the next meeting. The council did not take a formal vote on changing election administration on May 20.