HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2009.05.07 - 9871REPORT (MISC. #09078) May 7, 2009
BY: GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE — Christine Long, Chairperson
RE: MR #09078 — BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — OPPOSITION TO UNFUNDED NAVA
MAN DATES
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The General Government Committee, having considered the above titled resolution on April
27, 2009, recommends that the resolution be adopted.
Chairperson, on behalf of the General Government Committee, I move the acceptance of the
foregoing report.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
I.f A.•..
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Potter, Capella and Hatchett absent.
Miscellaneous Resolution #09018
TO: Oakland County Board of Commissioners
BY: Commissioner Shelley G. Taub, District #16
RE: Board of Commissioners — OPPOSITION TO UNFUNDED NAVA MANDATES
Chairperson. Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA), passed in 2002, mandated the replacement
of all voting systems in Oakland County, and
WHEREAS Congress funded the initial purchase of the equipment and start up of this program, but
did not provide the long term funding source of the replacement and maintenance of this equipment;
and
WHEREAS the Oakland County Board of Commissioners adopted Miscellaneous Resolution
#05036 to apply to the Michigan Secretary of State for a Help America Vote Act (NAVA) Grant for
one ES&S M100 optical scan tabulator, one AutoMARK accessible voting system and related
software to comply with HAVA; and
WHEREAS Congress also created a new federal "Election Assistance Commission (EAC)" to
monitor the usage of HAVA funds by states and local government. It was also created in the spirit of
being a watchdog, advocate and to set standards for the protection of the nation's voters — keeping
a close on eye on critical issues for the elections process. The quality and accuracy of nation's
voting equipment is one of those critical issues; and
WHEREAS each of the 51 municipalities in Oakland County also applied to the Michigan Secretary
of State for HAVA funds to obtain HAVA mandated optical scan voting equipment, accessible voting
systems and related software; and
WHEREAS it is estimated that Oakland County will be responsible for $50,000 annually in licensing,
customer support and technical assistance fees to service and maintain HAVA related software and
equipment for countywide tabulation; and
WHEREAS the new voting equipment provided by HAVA funds has many times added
complications to the election process that have lead to greater costs for local governments. In
addition, no long term maintenance process for this equipment was provided for or funded by the
NAVA funds. While the federal mandates for elections as required by HAVA continue, the costs
associated with lhose mandates are now being increasingly born by local governments who are
already having very difficult budget challenges; and
WHEREAS each local jurisdiction is responsible for all costs associated with technical maintenance
of the voting equipment and extended warranties for equipment secured with HAVA funding; and
WHEREAS it is estimated that Oakland County's local jurisdictions could be potentially responsible
for an estimated $262,000 to service and maintain HAVA mandated xoting equipment; and
WHEREAS the Oakland County Board of Commissioners recognizes that local jurisdictions are
struggling to comply with these unfunded HAVA mandates.
Commissioner
District #
Commissioner
District #
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners urges the
federal government to provide additional Help America Vote Act (NAVA) resources for technical
maintenance and equipment upgrades of HAVA mandated election equipment; including:
1. Providing long term financial support to local governments across the country to provide
maintenance and new equipment replacement and repairs.
Granting greater power and funding to the federal Election Assistance Commission to
ensure we have an effective watchdog of our elections system.
3. Respecting local units of governments by resisting the further imposition of unfunded
mandates.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk is requested to forward copies of this
adopted resolution to the HAVA founded Election Assistance Commission, Michigan's Secretary of
State, Oakland County's delegation to the State and Federal legislatures, the Oakland County
Clerk/Register of Deeds and Oakland County Director of Elections.
Chairperson, we move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution.
Commissioner SheOlA. Taub Commissioner
District #
Commissioner Commissioner
District # District #
District #16
Commissioner Commissioner
District # District #
Commissioner Commissioner
District # District #
Commissioner Commissioner
District # District #
Commissioner Commissioner
District # District #
Commissioner Commissioner
District # District #
Commissioner Commissioner
District # District #
Resolution #09078 March 26, 2009
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.
Resolution *09018 May 7, 2009
Moved by Middleton supported by Jackson the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the Consent Agenda
be adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted).
AYES: Burns, Capella, Coleman, Coulter, Douglas, Gershenson, Gingell. Gosselin, Greimel,
Hatchett, Jackson, Jacobsen, McGillivray, Middleton, Nash, Potter, Runestad, Schwartz, Scott.
Woodward, Zack, Bullard. (22)
NAYS: None. (0)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the resolut ons (with fiscal notes attached) on the Consent Agenda
were adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted),
I HEREBY APPROVE THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION
_3-62767
STATE OF MICHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Ruth Johnson, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true and
accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on May 7, 2009. with
the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the County of Oakland at Pontiac,
Michigan this 7th day of May, 2009.
eat
Ruth Johnson. County Clerk