Look Who it Was Random video

Hamilton County Election Cost

61 views · Published 26 February 2013 · 3:18 · Indexed 5 October 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2013 · News & Politics

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Voters in Chattanooga are going to the polls a week from tomorrow, and the only things on the ballot will be the municipal races for mayor and city council.
Past experience has shown that having an municipal election for city government is more expensive than the primary or general elections.  But NewsChannel 9  wanted to know the details. We obtained copies of the invoices that drop on the desk at the Chattanooga City finance office every time there is a municipal election.  If they can (hold the election) in another time in the year and save the money, why not? one registered voter asked.  It's pretty simple, seems like to me.
Like all the other municipalities in Hamilton County, Chattanooga pays the Election Commission to hold the election, and in that office, Elections Administrator Charlotte Mullis-Morgan showed us something shocking about the cost.It's gone up every year, hasn't it, I asked.  
Oh yes, she said. From $77,000 dollars in 2001 to $138,000 in 2009.  That's a 79 percent increase in eight years.  And it will no doubt be more this year. What's worse is that participation is going down -- turnout is down from 32-percent to 18-percent in those same cycles.
It is what it is, said Mullis-Morgan.Mullis-Morgan said if Chattanooga had held its election back in November, the bill would have only been $25,000 to $30,000 dollars, a fraction of what this year's cost will be.  Maybe the city of Chattanooga could learn something from the smaller municipalities in Hamilton County.  Again, back in November when we all voted for President, U-S Senator and House members, East Ridge elected council members, Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy, and Lakesite elected commissioners, and Signal Mountain picked its town council.
We pointed that out to Chattanooga council president Pam Ladd, but she was unconvinced.  Couldn't you just change the city charter to make it easier to save.. actually save money? I asked.  We could change the charter, but whether or not it would save money by doing that, is the question, she says.  When we talked about it and looked at it, it just did not look as if that was a feasible decision to make.
That infuriates the Chattanooga voters we talked to.  
The best argument we heard against moving the city election is that, with the big national races getting all the attention, it's hard for voters to notice local races.  
Collegedale does the same as Chattanooga.  That town is also spending extra money to have a stand-alone city commissioner's race on next week's, off-year ballot.
You can depend on us to let you what the bill is for next week's municipal election.

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