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City clerk asks for extra staff and voting‑equipment maintenance as FOIA and early‑voting workloads rise
Summary
City Clerk Jacqueline Boudre requested $32,330 annually for maintenance on 2020 voting equipment and funding for one new full‑time staff member (~$100,000 plus $15,000 IT) to handle rising FOIA volume and expanded election season duties; she proposed launching a Passport Acceptance Agency as partial offset revenue.
Jacqueline Boudre, Ann Arbor's city clerk, detailed two budget requests rooted in changing election and records demands. The Clerk's Office asks for $32,330 annually to maintain vote‑by‑mail and high‑speed scanning equipment acquired in 2020 (the warranty has lapsed), and for one recurring full‑time equivalent (FTE) at roughly $100,000 in salary and benefits plus $15,000 in IT costs to address FOIA processing, election administration and customer service.
Boudre said FOIA volume rose about 25% year over year (the office processed 937 FOIAs last year) and described how election work has expanded into an "election season" — with permanent absentee lists, early voting and associated daily statutory deadlines that have lengthened workloads. She said the office currently relies on overtime and temporary help but needs managerial capacity and continuity.
To offset recurring costs, the Clerk proposed applying to become a Passport Acceptance Agency; if approved by the U.S. State Department and implemented, the service could generate an estimated $50,000 annually based on peer city estimates. Boudre cautioned that State Department approval is not guaranteed and that implementation would follow acceptance.
Council members asked about FOIA drivers, including automated/bot requests, and Boudre said some frequent requesters use automated processes to scan procurement postings and that staff are directing more materials to public web pages to reduce formal requests.
