|
DATE: |
May 2, 2023 and May 23, 2023 |
15 |
SUBJECT
Title
ADMINISTRATIVE ITEM:
SECOND CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE:
NOTICED PUBLIC HEARING: ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 439.2 OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE RELATING TO THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS FEES FOR RECORDS AND SERVICES (5/02/2023 - first reading; 5/23/2023 - second reading unless ordinance is modified on second reading) (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
On May 2, 2023 (28), the Board of Supervisors took action to further consider and adopt the Ordinance on May 23, 2023.
With over 1.9 million active registered voters, the mission of the Registrar of Voters (ROV) is to conduct voter registration and voting processes with the highest level of professional election standards, including accountability, security and integrity, thereby earning and maintaining public confidence in the electoral process. The ROV conducts elections on behalf of the more than 500 political districts in San Diego County.
Today’s actions request that the Board of Supervisors review and approve amendments to Section 439.2 of the San Diego County Administrative Code related to the Registrar of Voters’ fees for products and services. The recommended changes reflect fees and rates that are fair and equitable for customers and the public and recover the department’s full cost of services provided, as required by Board Policy B-29 “Fees, Grants, Revenue Contracts - Department Responsibility for Cost Recovery” (Board Policy B-29). The proposed changes are the result of an analysis of services provided to the public, processing times and corresponding costs to provide those services. The Auditor and Controller has reviewed and approved the supporting documentation and the methodology for establishing the fees in this proposal.
Today’s actions include introducing an Ordinance amending Section 439.2 of the San Diego County Administrative Code (first reading) and if approved, it will be scheduled for adoption on May 23, 2023. If the proposed ordinance is altered on May 23, 2023, then on that date a subsequent meeting date will be selected for the ordinance's adoption.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Approve the adoption of the following Ordinance (second reading):
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 439.2 OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE RELATING TO FEES FOR THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS RECORDS AND SERVICES
If the proposed ordinance is altered on May 23, 2023, then on that date a subsequent meeting date will be selected for the ordinance's adoption.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
A person’s vote can influence policy and who represents them in government, which in turn impacts their environment, health and quality of life. Having the appropriate resources to conduct a fair, accurate and transparent election allows all eligible citizens to have a part in matters that affect them.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
A person’s vote has a direct influence on the sustainability of their neighborhood, community, and local region. By voting, San Diego residents have a direct impact on their health, equity, the economy and environment. With the County’s implementation of the vote center model, all active registered voters receive a ballot in the mail as required by current law. This increases accessibility by providing voters with the opportunity to consider the method that is most convenient for them to return their ballot and has the possibility of reducing vehicle miles traveled to cast their vote. In addition, voters have the option of receiving their voter information guides electronically to reduce paper waste. The recommended action today aligns with the County of San Diego Sustainability Goal of providing just and equitable access to County services.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no current year fiscal impact associated with these recommendations. If approved, this proposal will result in estimated additional annual costs and revenue of $7,000 for the Registrar of Voters beginning in Fiscal Year 2023-24, as detailed below. Funds for this request will be included in the Fiscal Year 2023-25 CAO Recommended Operational Plan in the Registrar of Voters. The fees are estimated in an amount sufficient to ensure full cost recovery as required by Board Policy B-29: Fees, Grants, Revenue Contracts - Department Responsibility for Cost Recovery. Accordingly, there is no projected unrecovered cost and a waiver of Board Policy B-29 is not needed. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
Fees for Records and Services (Non-Candidate Statement Fees)
If approved, this request will result in annual costs and revenue of approximately $2,000 due to an increase in labor and material costs. The funding source is fees paid by customers.
Fees for Candidate Statements
If approved, this request will result in additional estimated annual costs and revenue of approximately $5,000. The funding source is fees paid by candidates running for office who wish to exercise the option of having a candidate statement printed in the voter information guide per Elections Code 13307.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
As part of its mission, the Registrar of Voters (ROV) charges and collects fees for providing various election and voter registration related products and services to candidates and campaigns, government agencies, the media and members of the public. In order to continue to meet department mandates, as well as provide a level of service expected by the citizens and stakeholders of San Diego County, the Registrar of Voters is proposing to adjust its product and service fees. Pursuant to Board Policy B-29, full cost recovery is required for services provided to agencies or individuals outside the County organization.
The proposed ordinance includes amendments to Article XXIV-A, Section 439.2 to reflect the removal of one fee due to the transition to the Voter’s Choice Act and revision of 17 fees to reflect actual labor and material costs. The last ROV fee increase was adopted on August 6, 2019 through Ordinance No. 10621. The Auditor and Controller has reviewed and approved the methodology for establishing the fees in this proposal.
The following provides an overview of the fee adjustments to cover the department’s operational costs.
439.2 (b): Searching records or files
Two fees have been adjusted due to increased staff labor costs. One fee is for staff to research specific voter records. The proposed fee would increase the hourly rate of ROV staff from $90/hour to $98/hour based on the cost of providing this service. The other fee is for Information Technology (IT) staff to develop customized reports using the Election Management System (voter registration system). The proposed fee would increase the hourly rate of IT staff from $168/hour to $173/hour based on the cost of providing this service to customers.
439.2 (c): Reports
The fees are for six reports that the ROV provides using voter information data. Information Technology (IT) staff prepare these reports using the Election Management System (voter registration system).
Electronic transfer of vote by mail voter information via FTP: The proposed ordinance would increase the fee from $271 to $285 due to increased labor costs. This is a subscription to receive daily/weekly reports until the election is certified.
Electronic transfer of specialized absentee vote by mail voter information via FTP: The proposed ordinance would increase the fee from $173 to $216 due to increased labor costs. This is a subscription to receive daily/weekly reports until the election is certified.
Voter File: IT labor costs have increased since the last update in 2019. The annual maintenance cost of the Election Management System has also increased since 2019. Fees are based on how long it takes to run the data due to the number of registered voters in the file.
|
# of Registered Voters |
Current Fee |
Proposed Fee |
|
up to 350,000 registered voters |
$33 |
$38 |
|
350,001 - 800,000 registered voters |
$36 |
$46 |
|
800,001 and above registered voters |
$38 |
$54 |
|
Countywide (1.9+ million registered voters) |
$34 |
$75 |
The vote by mail voter data CD fee is being removed since all voters now receive a ballot in the mail under the Voter’s Choice Act.
439.2 (d): Candidate statements pursuant to Elections Code 13307
This fee allows the Registrar of Voters to recover all costs to prepare, translate and print candidate statements in the voter information guide. Costs also include the translation and printing of the candidate statements into the federal mandated languages (Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese). The fee is uniformly assessed with a set-up fee plus a print fee. The print fee is determined by a set amount per 1,000 registered voters in the district. There are no changes to the print fee. The set-up fee includes composition, translation, audio recording, proof reading, labor and overhead costs. Four set-up fees have been adjusted due to increased staff labor costs based on the number of words in the candidate statement and the time it takes to proofread them in five languages (English + four federal mandated languages).
|
Set-up Fee |
Current Fee |
Proposed Fee |
|
200 words |
$499 |
$518 |
|
250 words |
$542 |
$561 |
|
200 words with photo |
$699 |
$728 |
|
400 words |
$998 |
$1,036 |
439.2 (g): Maps
The ArcGIS environment provides staff with the capability to provide customized map products to customers. The proposed ordinance would increase the hourly rate of Geographic Information System staff to develop customized countywide maps based on customer needs and requirements (i.e., district boundaries, communities, roads, etc.) from $95/hour to $104/hour due to an increase in labor costs. Four other fees have been adjusted to reflect actual costs of product and materials.
|
Item |
Current Fee |
Proposed Fee |
|
Customer-ready map (36" x 48") |
$8 |
$11 |
|
Custom map paper (36" x 48") |
$3 |
$4 |
|
Transparency |
$10 |
$14 |
|
Mailing tube |
$2 |
$3 |
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed action supports the Operational Excellence Strategic Initiative in the County of San Diego’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan by aligning services to available resources to maintain fiscal stability.
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN N. ROBBINS-MEYER
Interim Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Administrative Code XXIV-A Clean
Attachment B: Administrative Code XXIV-A Strikethrough
Attachment C: Summary of Proposed Ordinance