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<br />Elections Proposal <br />August 1, 2011 <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />As shown on the previous page, we have preliminarily budgeted $38,893 for the 2012 <br />election. The amount proposed by the County is less than our budgeted amount. On this <br />basis, it would appear that the one-year County proposal would be a better value ($36,000 <br />contract cost versus $38,893 budgeted in 2012) however the proposed budget for 2012 <br />includes about $8,000 in staff wages which would continue to be paid, thus the proposal <br />would actually end up costing the City about $5,000 more for the year. <br /> <br />The one-year contract prepared by the County is proposed as an introductory arrangement <br />to be followed by a four-year contract assuming both parties wish to continue. The City <br />would anticipate a cost savings in the future years when the one-year cost of $36,000 <br />becomes spread over two years. Thus, in 2013 and 2014, the annual cost would drop to <br />$18,000 per year. In comparison, the two-year cost in Mounds View has been averaging <br />between $23,000 and $25,000. <br /> <br />Staff believes contracting with the County would be beneficial for a number of reasons, <br />such as: <br /> <br />• Eliminates the need to send staff to multiple election training sessions <br />• Puts the responsibility for elections with a County division whose only <br />function and purpose is to coordinate and manage elections <br />• Potential cost savings through economies of scale—as more communities <br />contract with the County, the overhead for each decreases <br />• Provides for consistent budgeting from year to year rather than the <br />alternating highs and lows <br />• Allows staff to focus on other key work responsibilities that suffer during <br />election seasons <br />• Provides flexibility in staffing, allowing employees to focus on their primary <br />responsibilities and other duties as assigned <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br /> <br />Staff requests that the City Council review the attached proposal from Ramsey County and <br />provide feedback and direction as to whether it would like to proceed. The City Attorney’s <br />office has reviewed the proposal and found the agreement acceptable. The County will <br />need a response to provide sufficient time to gear up for the coming year. <br /> <br /> <br />Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />________________________ <br />James Ericson <br />City Administrator <br /> <br /> <br />