BENTONVILLE — The votes have long since been counted and the result known, but the Aug. 10 special election for a seat on the Siloam Springs Board of Directors is not yet settled.
The Benton County Election Commission and the city are still at odds over the cost of the election and what the city’s share of that cost should be.
The commission originally billed the city $12,405, which included a $10,000 charge for what the commission called “general and administrative expenses.” Those expenses included, but were not limited to, fixed overhead costs of the commission, commission meetings, commissioners’ mileage, a voting machine fee, a ballot processing fee and election supplies kits.
The commission began charging the general and administrative expense earlier this year. Avoca challenged the charge for its share of the May 18 primary, and the commission agreed to reduce the amount charged to that city.
Election Commission Chairman Bill Williams said Siloam Springs officials also questioned the amount of the general and administrative charge, and the commission offered to lower it to $5,000.
Siloam Springs City Attorney Jay Williams responded to the offer on Oct. 25, saying that city officials had calculated the cost of the election on the basis of information provided by the commission and according to a formula set out in state law. By those calculations, Williams said in the letter, the city’s share of the cost is $369.
At a commission meeting Tuesday, Bill Williams said there appears to be some miscommunication involved and a disagreement over how the city’s share should be calculated. He said Siloam Springs officials asked for information from the May 18 primary election and apparently used those numbers in figuring their cost. Since the Aug. 10 election was a special election held for Siloam Springs alone, the calculation is different.
Williams said state law, as he understands it, calls for the city and county to split the cost of the special election evenly.
The Election Commission agreed Tuesday to reduce the city’s bill by half and send a letter with that proposal back to the city.
Arkansas, Pages 17 on 11/26/2010