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Morrow staff weigh costs of running municipal elections after county offers equipment loan
Summary
Councilors discussed a proposed intergovernmental agreement with the Clayton County Board of Elections to loan election equipment at no charge; staff said conducting city-run elections could cost about $12,000 versus $16,500 for county-run elections and will provide a detailed cost analysis at the next meeting.
City Manager Jeff Baker and the City Clerk discussed a proposed intergovernmental agreement (Resolution 2025-05) with the Clayton County Board of Elections and Registration to loan election equipment to the city for municipal elections at no charge.
Councilwoman Dorothy Dean asked about the additional costs the city would incur if it ran its own elections, including printing ballots and hiring poll workers. The City Clerk provided a rough estimate of about $12,000 for the city to administer its own elections compared with the roughly $16,500 the city normally pays when the county administers the election. The clerk also said the city would use paper ballots with scanning equipment provided by the county if it chose to proceed independently.
The City Clerk committed to producing a detailed cost analysis for the council at the next meeting so members can weigh whether to enter the intergovernmental agreement, continue to contract with the county, or pursue a hybrid approach.
Why this matters: choosing the method for administering municipal elections affects city budgets, staffing and local control of election logistics.
What’s next: the clerk will provide a detailed cost breakdown at the next council meeting; no final decision was recorded during the Aug. 26 work session.
