Fiscal Note & Local Impact Statement

125 ^th General Assembly of Ohio

Ohio Legislative Service Commission

77 South High Street, 9^th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215-6136 ² Phone: (614) 466-3615

² Internet Web Site: http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/

BILL:	H.B. 262		DATE:	October 14, 2003
STATUS:	As Introduced		SPONSOR:	Rep. Carmichael
LOCAL IMPACT STATEMENT REQUIRED:		Yes

CONTENTS:

Revises election law to increase the maximum poll worker pay and to permit state and local government employees to work as judges of elections and receive poll worker pay in addition to regular employment compensation

State Fiscal Highlights

STATE FUND	FY 2004	FY 2005			FUTURE YEARS
General Revenue Fund and Other State Funds
Revenues	- 0 -		- 0 -	- 0 -
Expenditures	Potential increase		Potential increase	Potential increase

Note: The state fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. For example, FY 2004 is July 1, 2003 – June 30, 2004.

• Permitting state employees to work as judges of elections may cause a potential increase in costs if that agency must use overtime or outsourcing to complete that employee’s work during their absence.

Local Fiscal Highlights

LOCAL GOVERNMENT		FY 2004		FY 2005		FUTURE YEARS
Counties
Revenues	- 0 -		- 0 -		- 0 -
Expenditures	Potential increase up to $940,000 or more		Potential increase up to $940,000 or more		Potential increase up to $940,000 or more
Other Political Subdivisions
Revenues	- 0 -		- 0 -		- 0 -
Expenditures	Potential increase		Potential increase		Potential increase

Note: For most local governments, the fiscal year is the calendar year. The school district fiscal year is July 1 through June 30.

• The increase in per diem pay for judges may increase the costs for county boards of elections.
• Statewide the annual increase in costs could be as much as $940,000 or more, depending on the number of poll workers and the number of elections in a year.
• Permitting local government employees to work as judges of elections may cause a potential increase in costs if that agency must use overtime or outsourcing to complete that employee’s work during their absence.

Detailed Fiscal Analysis

Provisions of the Bill

The bill revises election law in the following ways:

· Increases the maximum per diem pay for individuals serving as judges of an election from $85 to $95.

· Permits employees of the state and political subdivisions to work as judges of elections.

· Allows employees of the state and political subdivisions working as poll workers to receive poll worker pay, in addition to their regular compensation.

· Eliminates required ballot language pertaining to local option elections dealing with the sales of alcoholic beverages at a specific location.

Per Diem Pay Increase Provision

The provision increasing the maximum per diem pay for judges may increase the costs of an election to the county. As of November 2002, there were 11,756 voting precincts in the state of Ohio. Each precinct employs approximately four, but can have as many as six judges per election. Assuming each precinct employs only four judges per election, compensates judges at the current maximum rate of $85 per diem, and that these precincts compensate judges at the increased rate established in the bill, there is a potential increase in cost of $470,240 per election. Assuming two elections per year, the potential annual increase would be $940,480. Potential costs would be higher than this if there are more than four judges or more than two elections in a year.

State and Local Government Employees Provisions

The provisions allowing employees of state and political subdivisions to serve as election judges as well as receive poll worker compensation in addition to regular compensation may increase costs for both state agencies and political subdivisions. The following figures are based upon a higher salary or hourly pay rate for hiring a replacement employee or employment service to handle the absent employee’s workload for the period of absence.

· Assuming four employees are needed as replacements, compensated at $20 per hour for two eight-hour election days per year, the cost would be $1,280. This exceeds the small government threshold of $1,000 for a “yes” local impact determination.

· Assuming seven employees are needed as replacements, compensated at $25 per hour for four eight-hour election days per year, the cost would be $5,600. This exceeds the county and city government threshold of $5,000 for a “yes” local impact determination.

· Statewide, assuming a compensation rate of $25 per hour and an average of three eight-hour election days per year, 167 local government employees would be needed to exceed the $100,000 statewide threshold for a “yes” local impact determination.

Any one of these thresholds can potentially be exceeded given the assumptions stated above or other possible assumptions. Thus, the Local Impact Determination for this bill is a “yes.”

LSC fiscal staff: Terry Steele, Budget Analyst

HB0262IN/cm