Izard County court tables ordinance setting pay and reimbursement rules for election commissioners and poll workers

The Izard County Court on a motion by the chair tabled Ordinance 2024-17, which would set formal pay and reimbursement rules for the Izard County Board of Election Commissioners and county poll workers, until its next meeting.

Clerk (speaker S1) read the ordinance by title and in part, including provisions that would: set public-meeting pay for election commissioners at $125 per meeting up to 10 meetings per election cycle; allow $15 per hour for work performed outside of public meetings (subject to limits, typically up to 40 hours per election); provide $300 for mandatory training; and authorize mileage reimbursement in accordance with county travel policy. The ordinance includes an emergency clause declaring immediate effect upon passage.

The ordinance text also adds an option (Section 4(b)) allowing a county employee to serve as an election coordinator, subject to acceptance by a vote of the county Board of Election Commissioners.

Ray Andrew (speaker S4), who said he had helped prepare the ordinance and formerly served as an election coordinator, told the court that state reimbursement practices complicate the county’s costs. Andrew said the state’s reimbursement form treats meeting pay as $125 per meeting and reimburses poll-worker wages at a lower rate (about $11 per hour), while the county has set local pay at $15 per hour. "I tried to go in and put in a 100. It would not accept it," Andrew said of the state’s Excel reimbursement form, adding that the form is locked to amounts required by law. He told the court the state generally reimburses the primary election and that municipalities reimburse the county for municipal contests held during a general election.

Members sought concrete figures to estimate the local fiscal impact if the ordinance took effect, including whether the county could pursue retroactive payments for underpaid meetings. The Clerk and Andrew said they would produce a list of municipalities that have reimbursed the county in the past and the invoices showing prior payments so the court could determine exact amounts.

After discussion, the Chair moved to table the ordinance until the next meeting for follow-up with county staff and the State Board of Elections; a Committee member seconded the motion and the court voted unanimously to table Ordinance 2024-17.

The court did not adopt the ordinance and directed staff to gather the requested reimbursement details and legal clarifications. The item will return to the court calendar once those figures and any state guidance are available.