Supervisor of Elections cites election‑year costs, early‑voting expansion and renovation needs

Katie Linhardt, Supervisor of Elections, told the commissioners on June 8 that the office expects a 9.42% operating increase in FY27 driven by election-cycle expenses: an expanded early‑voting schedule (13 days across five sites), higher ballot volumes and related material costs, and increased contracted maintenance for voter-system hardware and software.

Linhardt said unspent revenue from special elections in the prior year partially offset costs but noted postage increases (USPS rate change on July 1) and vendor-cost inflation were raising recurring expenses. The elections office is renovating its facility to enlarge the early‑voting room from roughly 800 square feet to nearly double that size; staff said the early-voting footprint will expand but added that construction has caused scheduling stress and that a project manager resource is not currently assigned within county staff.

Commissioners asked whether the renovations and communications/software investments are one-time or recurring; Linhardt said some items—like hardware or communications setup—should not be fully recurring, while software maintenance could recur. She also explained that Florida’s 13-day early-voting window has been standard since early voting was introduced and that the office plans to consolidate mailings and reduce other costs where possible.

The board expressed appreciation for the elections team's work under constrained space and tight timelines and asked staff to monitor and report the final renovation schedule and any outstanding vendor costs before early voting begins.