REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 14, 2021
FROM
BOB PAGE, Registrar of Voters
SUBJECT
Title
Registrar of Voters Budgetary Adjustments for Fiscal Year 2021-22
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept the allocation from the California Department of Finance in the amount of $33.9 million for full funding of the 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, received on August 11, 2021.
2. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the necessary budget adjustments, as detailed in the Financial Impact Section, for election related expenses for the 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election (Four votes required).
3. Authorize the purchase of a data and phone switch as an unbudgeted fixed asset in the amount of $40,000.
(Presenter: Bob Page, Registrar of Voters, 387-2100)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Registrar of Voters (ROV) requests budget adjustments to the 2021-22 budget as reflected in the table below to provide sufficient appropriation for costs associated with the one-time September 14, 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election. The budget adjustments will be funded by the allocation from the California Department of Finance of $33.9 million.
|
Funds Center |
Commitment Item/ GL Account |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
6800001000 |
52002133 |
ROV Non-County Election Workers |
Increase |
$ 1,513,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52002135 |
Special Department Expense |
Increase |
$10,300,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52002304 |
Office Expense Outside Vendors |
Increase |
$ 1,250,412 |
|
6800001000 |
52002310 |
Presort & Packaging |
Increase |
$ 2,750,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52002335 |
Temporary Help |
Increase |
$10,500,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52002445 |
Professional Services |
Increase |
$ 3,000,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52002450 |
Systems Dev Charges |
Increase |
$ 1,200,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52002895 |
Rents & Leases |
Increase |
$ 1,000,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52942940 |
Private Mileage |
Increase |
$ 95,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52942943 |
Meals |
Increase |
$ 40,000 |
|
6800001000 |
55405010 |
Salaries & Bene Transfer Out |
Increase |
$ 1,000,000 |
|
6800001000 |
55405012 |
Services & Supply Transfer Out |
Increase |
$ 1,250,000 |
|
6800001000 |
52002310 |
Presort & Packaging |
Decrease |
$ 40,000 |
|
6800001000 |
54404040 |
Equipment - Switch |
Increase |
$ 40,000 |
|
6800001000 |
40408840 |
State Other |
Increase |
$33,898,412 |
On May 25, 2021, the California Department of Finance requested for county election officials to estimate the costs of a recall election, per Elections Code section 11108(d). ROV provided the cost estimate of $32.0 million to the Department of Finance on June 1, 2021.
On June 28, 2021, the State Legislature approved and Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 152, which, among other things, requires the County to have a voter education and outreach program for the September 14, 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election. The Department of Finance requested an updated estimate to account for the passing of SB 152. ROV submitted a revised estimate of $33.9 million. On August 11, 2021, the Department of Finance electronically deposited the allocated amount.
At the time the Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted the 2021-22 budget, the Secretary of State (SOS) had not certified there was a sufficient number of verified signatures to initiate a recall election therefore ROV did not include the recall expenses in the budget.
In March 2021, ROV ordered a switch to increase the number of data/phones ROV could use for an election which was part of the FY 2020-21 Budget. The vendor notified ROV in June 2021 the switch would not be delivered until August 2021 because of the shortage of parts due to factory shut downs in 2020. Since the equipment did not arrive in time to meet the FY 2020-21 deadlines, a budget adjustment is necessary to purchase the equipment in this fiscal year. Approval of Recommendation No. 3 will allow ROV to move budgeted funds from Presort & Packaging to Equipment.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On July 1, 2021, the Secretary of State certified the petition to recall Governor Gavin Newsom was sufficient in a letter to the Lieutenant Governor. That same day, the Lieutenant Governor set the California Gubernatorial Recall Election to be held on September 14, 2021.
ROV’s 2021-22 budget did not include funding for the recall election nor the impacts related to the passing of SB 152. The Department of Finance notified the Joint Legislative Budget Committee of the estimated costs for consideration for inclusion in the budget. The Legislature appropriated $243.5 million to fully fund the recall election. On July 20, 2021, the Department of Finance requested the State Controller’s Office remit payment directly to the county elections officials for the recall election. On August 11, 2021, ROV received $33.9 million to cover all of the election expenses therefore, not requiring the use of any additional general fund monies.
The budget adjustment consists of election expenses, such as Payroll Expenses for temporary staff, poll workers (County and non-County), other County Departments and Innovation and Technology staff; Special Department expenses like ballots, voter information guides, polling places payments; postage and mail charges; Professional Services and Rental Services for equipment, contact center services and vehicle rentals; and Office Supplies which include additional COVID-19 supplies for staff and polling places.
There is no contract associated with this State funding, however, the Department of Finance will require ROV to submit a report in December 2021 providing documentation of expenses to show how the funding was spent. Any State funds not used for the recall election must be carried over to help finance the share of the cost of the June 2022 Statewide Primary Election attributed to State offices and initiatives on the ballot.
PROCUREMENT
Not Applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jolena Grider, Deputy County Counsel, 387-4310) on August 16, 2021; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Erika Gomez, General Accounting Manager, 382-3196) on August 19, 2021; Finance (Elias Duenas, Administrative Analyst, 387-4052) on August 27, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on August 30, 2021.