Title
Resolution to Approve New Election Inspector Pay Scales
Memorandum
The attached resolution proposes to raise the various rates of election inspectors' pay by about $2.00 per hour. By City Charter (Section 13.7), City Council must set election personnel pay rates and the last time it did so was 2012. At the time of that increase, Ann Arbor had the lowest election inspector pay rates in Washtenaw County.
Since 2012, Ann Arbor's rates have remained fixed, while neighboring jurisdictions in Washtenaw County have continued to increase their pay rates, and Ann Arbor again is among the lowest paying in the County. With one of the lowest pay rates in Washtenaw County, election inspector recruitment efforts have become increasingly difficult for the City Clerk's Office. By law, election inspectors can be appointed to work the polls in any precinct in the State, with the only requirement being that they are a registered voter in Michigan. Competition between the City and neighboring townships in busy elections has meant the loss of some Ann Arbor poll workers to other jurisdictions, due to compensation. For example, the City of Ypsilanti pays $10.50 per hour for election inspectors compared to $9.00 in Ann Arbor. Pittsfield Township, one of the highest paying in the County offers $14.00 for inspectors and $17.00 per hour for chairpersons, compared to $12.00 per hour for chairs in Ann Arbor. Scio Township pays between $12.00 and $15.00 per hour. In addition, many of the smaller townships in the County provide meals on election days, which is not a practical option in Ann Arbor. See attached list of comparable pay rates.
An election inspector must report for work at 6:00 a.m. and the typical Election Day is about 16 hours long. Due to the challenges with recruitment and the additional cost of training, we do not offer split shifts. The chairperson assigned to each precinct must contend with voter registration problems, poll challengers, and provisional ballo...
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