Following nearly an hour of discussion regarding the passionate and important subject, the Christian County Fiscal Court unanimously approved a special-called meeting set for 11 o’clock Friday morning — in order to potentially act and approve on more voting machines, the possible return to 31 voting precincts and the increase of poll-worker pay for the county from $200 to $300.The special session will follow any action taken during what will now be a Friday special session of the Christian County Board of Elections.
Fiscal Court’s conversation and open floor stemmed from a strong letter submitted by former longtime Christian County Circuit Judge and Democratic Executive Committee Chair Peter MacDonald, in which he beseeches leaders to revisit and revert back the county’s tried and true processes of primaries and Election Day.
Judge-Executive Steve Tribble read most of MacDonald’s letter aloud.
At the end of MacDonald’s letter, he pleaded for a resolution seeking a minimum of more voting locations, and at a maximum a return of the old guard and all of the county’s original locations.
Mike Kem, county clerk, said that voting centers were meant to be easier and less complicated — allowing folks to vote “wherever they wanted” as a matter of convenience. He also said that following this past snafu during the May primary, voting centers are going to be increased from eight to 13.
In his opinion, Tribble said “that’s not enough.”
Magistrate Rich Liebe called for the original motion, and noted that all the magistrates had been on “the same sheet of music” in executive discussions.
No one disagreed.
Magistrate Darrell Gustafson was one of many Tuesday morning to also report a number of constituents were “creatures of habit,” who called him in the days following the May primary only to complain that old locations didn’t direct them to new ones.
Magistrate Phillip Peterson also mentioned a concern about poll workers, in which 90 minutes to two hours of training might not be enough to handle one of the county’s most important and timely tasks. Kem argued that poll workers needed to be paid more in order to take that specific day off from work.
Kem also noted the previous election worked well under these guidelines, citing the 2020 Presidential race, but this time around wasn’t as perfect.
Magistrates, and Tribble, eventually settled on bringing these concerns to the Board of Elections, before acting on anything Friday morning.
In other fiscal court news:
— Magistrates also unanimously approved a 90%, 20-year property tax incentive for Ascend Elements Inc., which is set to create more than 250 electric vehicle jobs on a $310 million investment in Commerce Park II. SWK EDC Executive Director Carter Hendricks said the hope is for the company to break ground this fall.
— Christian County is also the latest municipality jumping up and down about its poor trash pickup service from GFL, with magistrates Peterson and Jerry Gilliam each stating that it’s “time for other options.” Officials from Trigg County and Crittenden County have also uttered serious concerns.
— Jeff Springer, citizen, also brought concerned attention to the U.S. House recently passing HR 1808, which is an assault weapons ban making it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon or a large capacity ammunition feeding device.
The bill does permit the continued possession, sale or transfer of grandfathered semiautomatic weapons, which “must be securely stored,” and a licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered semiautomatic weapon between private parties.
Springer said the protecting of his family was “under attack,” and that the law was “unconstitutional.”
Gilliam said he supported Springer.
Fiscal court’s next regularly-scheduled meeting will be August 23.
