Thursday, May 06, 1999
County debates budget
Plea made for voting booths
BY RAY SCHAEFER
Enquirer Contributor
ALEXANDRIA — Campbell County Clerk Jack Snodgrass said 10-20 voting machines are needed to avoid a repeat of November's long delays at polling places.
Mr. Snodgrass, who spoke during Wednesday's Campbell County Fiscal Court meeting, asked for $50,000 to $100,000 for the machines. County commissioners are preparing the 1999-2000 budget before the fiscal year begins July 1.
“I expect an additional 2,000 to 2,500 voters by the May 2000 (primary) election,” Mr. Snodgrass wrote in a two-page letter. “Presidential elections bring more new voters.”
Mr. Snodgrass and County Attorney Justin Verst disagreed over how to interpret state law concerning the purchase of voting machines. According to Mr. Snodgrass, the county has to pay the entire cost, but Mr. Verst said county commissioners only have to pay to the best of their ability.
There are 65 precincts in Campbell County. High voter turnout last fall often led to two-hour waits, a problem County Commissioner William Verst said might have been lessened if voters had taken time to learn to operate the machines before reaching them.
“It was damned inconvenient for me to stand in line for two hours to vote,” he said. “If you wanted to vote, that's what you (did). We can't wave a magic wand and make every problem go away.”
Mr. Snodgrass said the county has 53,900 registered voters. Fiscal court bought 70 machines in 1996, and Mr. Snodgrass said the elections board bought six more.
County Commissioner Dave Otto wasn't sure where the county could find money for any extra machines, and Commissioner Verst asked about the possibility of leasing them at election time.
Another budget request came from Jerry Patton of the Campbell County Public Defenders Corp. He asked for a pay raise for his seven attorneys.
Public defenders earn $1,375 a month, and Mr. Patton said there has been no raise in five years.
Commissioners also allocated a little more than $262,000 of county payroll tax money for senior citizens services and just under $520,000 for mental health/mental retardation services.
Nancy McCafferty, a county police dispatcher, was awarded a certificate of merit. On April 13, Ms. McCafferty by telephone helped baby sitter Ann Record of California revive 16-month-old Nathan See, who had fallen into a shallow swimming pool.
Police, public vent anger in City Hall
Amateur chef discovers true joy of cooking
Fountain's fixing is uncertain
UC drops controversial psychoses tests
Warren church rift behind sabotage?
7 firefighters injured
Family finds home taken by tornado
Mayor 2001: The race is on
Communications levy's defeat dismays officials
Parking bargains may be cut
Safe haven for children affected by AIDS
Water-taxi wait will take a year
Just 'one question' away from 'Jeopardy' fame
Miami students try to avoid trouble
Vaccine requirement stays
Registry would track cancer trends
School board considers four to fill vacant seat
School board objects to new spending
Nun helps disabled mesh lives
GET TO IT
Area congressmen ask for smog level upgrade
Bell's just the thing for new millennium, city decides
Boone planners to consider two housing developments
Casino is bait; center is hook
Cincinnati council dumps beauty-school plan
County debates budget
Defeat crushes school officials
Error forces Ohio Lottery offline briefly
Foundry site is likely for Butler jail
House OKs $18.2B for schools
Madeira allows fitness center
Madison hails win, polishes plan
Plea agreement reached with white separatist
Police and schools plan together to avoid crises like Littleton's
Police pick off pot patch early
Reward rises for leads in Mason rapes
Rooftop hop ends with return to jail
SWAT teams sharpen skills
top school jobs open
TRISTATE DIGEST
