Often referendum language can be be complex enough it seems like a legal key is needed to decipher it. But that is not the case with the question asking Peoria voters if they want to consolidate the city and county election authorities. Peoria Public Radio’s Tanya Koonce reports:
The question reads: “Shall a board of election commissioners be established for Peoria County?”
A majority of yes votes would start the process of merging the County elections operations in with the City Election Commission. It’s governed by a three appointed commissioners. Tom Bride is the Executive Director of the Election Commission. “If it passes the existing commissioners have 30-days after it passes to ask the judge for two new commissioners. Then after two new commissioners are appointed, at some point after they are appointed, they would set up the new election commission which would be a new entity.”
Bride says just like the election commission exists in the city, the new entity would exist county-wide. The 10th Circuit Chief Judge would be responsible for appointing the commissioners.
County elections are currently handle in Clerk Steve Sonnemaker’s office. He says it’s a better idea to place county wide election responsibilities in an existing office, like his that has additional duties. “I think by establishing a city or county election commission in this day and age that only does elections, certainly you need to have good quality full time staff, but the work is just not there for full time staff.”’
But the City Election Commission currently employs full-time staff. They handle elections and voter registration, but for more than double the population of the county. Sonnemaker says if the referendum passes a county wide election office would probably need at least two more staff. “They may select people from my office. They may go somewhere else. My people are not guaranteed they would be hired by this new commission.”
The same is true for Tom Bride and the city election commission staff. If the referendum passes they will also need to be hired by the new county wide election commission in order to continue on it the same role for the new office.
Then there’s the matter of cost. The Republican Clerk says consolidating the offices could be more expense. Others say the move would likely be cost neutral.
Republican Peoria County Board Member Stephen Morris voted to put the consolidation referendum on the ballot. He says it’s more about reducing redundancy. “There are some ambiguities relative to the financing but there are ambiguities relative to the financing now. To me it seems like, we’re one county. It seem like we should have one election authority.”
Even though they don’t agree on the referendum Morris and County Clerk Steve Sonnemaker do agree on the principal. Sonnemaker says,“if it passes I don’t think voters will notice a difference in the service. It’s just what is the most efficient way to provide the service.”
To that end: The City and County elections offices have the same voting machines. Following election night returns would also get easier if the offices merge.
But if the referendum passes some of the biggest questions might be deciding on financing between the city and the county, whether to relocate the merged office and to consolidate before or after the municipal elections in February and April.