City, County Settle Election Cost Dispute

The City and County of Santa Barbara settled their lawsuit over how much the county should to charge for administering the City’s 2005 council election. The county agreed to allow the city to pay $50,000 and not the $240,000 it asked the city for. The county’s charges for administering the city’s off-year elections has been steadily mounting over the past 15 years, but have recently sky-rocketed, with the most recent projection hovering around $600,000. When City Hall was given the bill two years ago, it refused to pay, claiming the charges were exorbitant and unjustified. Still unresolved are future elections. This year, City hall has hired a private firm to conduct its own elections. It also placed a measure on the ballot-Measure A-asking voters if they want to have their elections at the same time as state and national races, along with every other smaller municipal entity. By doing so, city officials reckon they can save up to $300,000 a year.