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The Daily Item - Clerk seek funds for Brown election
By, Thor Jourgensen - 4/7/2010

LYNN - The U.S. Senate special election that elevated Scott Brown from obscurity onto the national political stage also left city clerks like Mary Audley waiting to be reimbursed for thousands of dollars in polling expenses.

Prior to last Dec. 8's special Senate primary election, Audley went hat in hand to the City Council to request $58,000 in taxpayer's money to pay for poll workers, polling place costs, rental vehicles to transport voting equipment and costs associated with hiring police officers to work on primary night and on election night, Jan. 19.

"I didn't have the money in the budget," Audley said.

All told, the special election cost Lynn $106,000 and communities across the state $7.8 million, according to state Auditor Joseph DeNucci, who determined last September that the special election constituted an unfunded state mandate on cities and towns that should be fully funded by the state.

About 20 percent of the costs associated with the election have been reimbursed, according to DeNucci's office, leaving Audley and her counterparts throughout Massachusetts anticipating complete reimbursement from the state Legislature.

Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed covering the outstanding election costs through a special budget now under legislative review.

DeNucci's office is responsible for determining the local financial impact of state mandates like special elections. Auditor officials contacted every city and town to collect the data necessary to audit and determine the amount of the cost imposed on each community due to the special election.

"This is a matter of fairness for cities and towns," said DeNucci.

For Audley and other clerks, it is also a matter of covering election-related costs that go above and beyond the annual two-election cycle local election offices typically oversee. Lynn's election office oversaw a municipal primary and a final election last year, but Audley also oversaw a November recount of ballots cast in the mayoral election.

Revere Election Commission Diane Colella juggled municipal elections plus two special state Senate elections in 2007. Even as she prepares for this fall's state election cycle, Colella is scheduling a special state Senate election and a ward council election.

The December and January, U.S. Senate election cost Revere $94,800 and Colella is waiting for $78,800 to be reimbursed. She said the April 13 special state Senate primary and May 11 final election will not cost as much as the U.S. Senate elections. Only Ward 6 voters cast ballots in the primary. They will be joined in the May final election by Ward 1 voters picking a successor to the late James Kimmerle.

"We're lucky: Two out of three (Ward 6) precincts are in one school - the Whelan. The cost is minimal," Colella said.