ROCKINGHAM — County Manager Bryan Land sent an email to state representatives expressing frustration with the county being made to hold a new election for Congressional District 9 despite Richmond County’s vote totals for the November election not being in dispute.
In the email provided to the Daily Journal, which is addressed to Sen. Tom McInnis and Rep. Ken Goodman, Land acknowledged that G.S. 163A-1181(d) requires a new election to be held in the “entire jurisdiction in which the original election was held,” but called it “extremely unfair” that Richmond County taxpayers will have to foot the bill. After consulting with Director of Elections Connie Kelly, Land said the required primary and general elections could total $125,000 and could reach $150,000 if another primary was added.
These costs would result in a nearly half-penny increase to the county’s tax rate, according to Land.
“I realize we are required by federal law to hold a special election if it is deemed necessary and we are also required by law to pay for all of the associated cost that accompany this election. However, it seems extremely unfair to me that Richmond County is being penalized for the collusion and illegal activities that took place in Bladen and Robeson counties,” Land wrote. “The election in Richmond County was certified and no collusion took place within our county. Furthermore, I find it extremely odd that the District 9 race is the only race that is being challenged. If collusion took place in these Counties, would it not be fair to say that ALL races were affected?”
Kelly arrived at the $125,000 figure by totaling the costs of the minimum 13 days of early voting, which is subject to increase; staffing for the early voting site; staffing for all 16 election day precincts; rental fees for the polling sites; ballot printing; voting equipment programming; supplies; postage for absentee ballots; and staff trainings.
Land said that he is “confident” the other counties in District 9 not involved in the election improprieties, with the exception of Union and Mecklenburg, feel the same way about footing the bill for the new election because they are in roughly the same financial shape that Richmond County is in.
Land concluded the email with a request for Goodman and McInnis to reply with any recourse Richmond County could take advantage of to seek reimbursement for the costs. At the monthly meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Land said he had not received a response from either elected official.
“I didn’t expect (a response); I just wanted to know where I stood,” Land said in response to a question from Commissioner Rick Watkins.
Watkins expressed support for Land’s complaints, and said that the individuals responsible for the impropriety should be prosecuted and the counties in question penalized.
“I share your concern about taxpayers being financially responsible for a primary and general election that is at no fault of our own,” Watkins said. He then asked County Attorney Bill Webb if he expected there to be litigation from other counties seeking reimbursement, to which Webb said he had not heard anything about that yet but did not rule out the possibility.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that the filing period for the special election for District 9 will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 11, 2019 and will end at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 15, 2019.
The primary will be held on Tuesday, May 14 and the general election will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10, if a primary winner gets more than 30 percent of the vote. If not, another primary would be held and the general election would be pushed back.