Gov. Pat Quinn is planning to sign legislation Saturday that would take elections duties away from the Lake County Clerk, a new law that has created a local political uproar.And as readers of this blog are presciently aware ...
Quinn to OK controversial Lake County voting plan
Split the VoteThe Governor has signed the election bill into law -- which goes a long way toward explaining the local political uproar currently rocking Lake County.
People will get into local political uproars over a lot of things but it usually ends up being over money:
Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor said the new law could cost the county more than $700,000 in new staff costs, in addition to upfront expenses for printing and other office needs.Your LakeCountyEye doesn't know how Aaron Lawlor arrived at a figure of $700,000. Perhaps Lawlor keeps a finger on the pulse of politics downstate, where an election commission costs Peoria taxpayers about the same amount:
Quinn to OK controversial Lake County voting plan
The election commission's 2011 budget is $624,318 and the county's is $373,363. A majority of those expenses are in personnel costs and election judges.In any event, your LakeCountyEye doesn't see the Lake County taxpayer footing the bill, because that $700K should be taken out of the County Clerk's budget. Because the County Clerk won't be handling the elections in Lake County any more. And won't need the extra money. Unless they need the money for raises and other incentives. In which case the taxpayer will be footing the bill.
Is this the city election commission's last hurrah?
Your LakeCountyEye has been reminded that nearly every sentence spoken by Aaron Lawlor contains three things: a noun, a verb and the Route 53 Extension. To put things in some perspective, that $700,000 might be enough money to pay for one or two Toll Plaza signs:
Your LakeCountyEye will keep you posted as further developments warrant.
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