North Beach council votes 3–2 to keep town-run elections, hire private contractor; adds nonbinding ballot question

The North Beach Town Council voted 3–2 on Jan. 15 to keep municipal elections administered within town limits and to use a private contractor to run the next election, and it approved adding a nonbinding question to the ballot asking voters whether they prefer town-run or state-run administration.

Town administrator Linda Besilo presented two options: Option 1 would keep elections run by the town (with either a private contractor or state assistance), and Option 2 would transfer election authority to the state and hold voting outside municipal limits at the North Beach fire department, which would require a charter change. "We refined the information for tonight and updated pricing so you have a clearer apples-to-apples comparison," Besilo told the council.

Council members who favored town-run elections emphasized local turnout and convenience. A council member (speaker 7) said, "I pushed this option because I firmly believe we should be voting for our town government in our town," noting that North Beach typically sees stronger turnout than in some neighboring towns. Councilman Datsun argued that residents should vote for town officials in the town where they live and that the cost difference is small relative to the town budget.

Council members who raised concerns about the town-run option urged caution. Councilman Wilcox said he favored the state option and raised questions about ballot handling and the potential for mistakes if control is moved. Councilwoman Crosby said she was uncomfortable deciding such a change without broader community engagement and suggested that a state-administered vote could increase turnout and reduce perceived bias.

Councilmember (speaker 7) moved to select the town-run option and use a private contractor; the motion was seconded. The council then called the question and conducted a roll call. The record shows: Councilman Hummel — aye; Councilwoman Kramer — aye; Councilman Wilcox — no; Councilwoman Crosby — nay; Councilman Datsun — aye. The mayor announced the motion passed 3–2. Staff was directed to proceed with implementation details for a town-run election using a private contractor.

Separately, Councilmember Wilcox moved to add a nonbinding referendum question to the ballot asking voters whether they wanted to continue town-run elections or move to state-run elections. The council approved that nonbinding question by voice vote and asked staff to finalize the ballot language and logistics. The mayor cautioned that a binding referendum would require following through on the result; council members emphasized the intent was a nonbinding "temperature check."

What happens next: staff will prepare procurement or contracting steps to secure a private vendor if necessary, finalize the nonbinding ballot language, and return any required charter or administrative documentation to the council for further action. The council adjourned the meeting after reports and closing remarks.