The Government Operations Committee met on March 6, 2025, at 2:00 PM to discuss the 2025 municipal election procedures, an amendment to the disabled veterans tax credit, and a workshop on the impact of newly created council districts on city operations and council member responsibilities. The meeting began with the approval of the February 20, 2025 committee minutes.
Call to order the government operations committee meeting for Thursday, March the sixth. Let us stand for the Pedge of these planning states of America. Approval of our minutes for Thursday, February twenty, two thousand and twenty-five. So moved. Second. Motion carries. Today on our agendas two items for review for recommendation. One is resolution twenty-five dash zero three concerning the municipal the two thousand twenty-five municipal elections. Good afternoon. As you know, Article Five of the City Code requires that the council approve um polling places, voting centers, we're calling them now, and um may approve early voting dates. Um, doing the planning preparations of again the processes. Um, and the resolution before you reflect some of that. They met again this past Tuesday for a final review of the resolution and expressed their support of it as presented. It would largely follow the process that we did in 2021, um, which would involve mailing a ballot to every registered voter, which they can return either um in the postage paid envelope provided through the mail, or can drop in a number of drop boxes. We um haven't really reached out for specific locations for drop boxes yet. My plan, we envision having at least one in each district. Um really looking looking back at what where I replaced them in 2021, they pretty much were one in each district. I think I have a little bit of tweaking to do, but they were pretty well distributed. Um and then for in-person voting, recognizing that some people just really prefer to vote in person. Uh the Board of Supervisors has proposed one um voting center at Trinity Recreation Center, which again is is where it was in 2021, and using that same location for early voting as well. Um early voting dates for the September 9th primary would be August 22nd and 23rd, and for the November 4th general election would be October 24th and 25th. So two days for each with hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. That would be the most significant change from what we did in 2021. There was a longer early voting period, the turnout was extremely low. Um it was generally felt not to be a good use of resources, and I know in at least one case it kind of threatened voter anonymity. There was a voter who told me they realized looking at the results that on the day they early voted, they were the only person in their precinct that early voted. So if you knew they voted that day, you could look at the results and see who they voted for. So that's a little extreme, but anyway. So that's why we thought we didn't need to spread that out that far this year. So I could say that's the general outline. Uh the Board of Supervisors felt like this is a good way to make voting as accessible as possible to everyone, whether they refer to mail, drop box, in-person, or early vote. Happy to answer any questions. Questions um so uh I'm completely supporting this. Um when we're looking at the maps and when we're looking at places to vote. Um, interestingly enough, my precinct? Is that right? District. I my district is kind of the only one that's all over. Um it surrounds Clover Hill, right? Right. Right, and so I would request that, especially in that district. We look at having at least two drop boxes because we're not talking about a central central. You can't really find a central location in that one. So yeah, I was looking at the map with the board of supervisors a little bit um on Tuesday, and it's sort of like if we can get one further north in wait, what's the district right under it? Is that four? I can't get the I'll learn that. So I'll be able to do that. Five's over top five's over top of that. Yeah, so and then one sort of more in the eastern part, I guess east of Clover Hill.