Title
Resolution to Approve New Election Inspector Pay Scales
Memorandum
The attached resolution proposes to raise the various rates of election inspectors' pay to be in compliance with the City's Living Wage Ordinance (Section 1:81101:8221 of Chapter 23 of Title I of the Code) and to remain competitive across Washtenaw County. This increase represents an average increase of about $3.00 per hour. By City Charter (Section 13.7), City Council must set election personnel pay rates and the last time it did so was 2018. Pay rates were not raised during the 2020 cycle, but grant funding at the time allowed for bonuses for those inspectors who worked during the challenges of the pandemic.
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 generally do not offer split shifts. The chairperson assigned to each precinct must contend with voter registration problems, poll challengers, and provisional ballots, in addition to the regular processing of voters. In busy even-year elections, the stream of voters can be almost non-stop from the opening of the polls at 7:00 a.m. until the closing at 8:00 p.m. As elections become more technologically complex, including the use of electronic poll books, new vote tabulators, more and more is being expected of election inspectors.
The proposed increases in the City of Ann Arbor election inspector pay rates take into consideration the additional knowledge and skills required to work the polls on Election Day and allows the City to remain competitive in its recruitment efforts in Washtenaw County. It is expected that the increased compensation will save the City in recruitment and training costs in the even-year elections, due to retention of existing trained workers.
PROPOSED NEW ELECTION INSPECTOR PAY RATES
Election Inspector - $16.75/hour (increase from $13.00)
Floater bonus - $15.00/election (...
Click here for full text