San Benito County laid the groundwork to satisfy the federal
government’s order to broaden resources for Spanish-speaking voters
when the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday increased poll workers’
pay and examined adding positions to the Elections Office
staff.
San Benito County laid the groundwork to satisfy the federal government’s order to broaden resources for Spanish-speaking voters when the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday increased poll workers’ pay and examined adding positions to the Elections Office staff.
The pay increase – which officials say they may hike again before November – is intended to help recruit more Spanish speaking poll workers, one of several mandates in the suit filed against San Benito in late May. Compensation to poll workers increased by about 60 percent Tuesday.
Adding nearly 30 new Spanish-speaking poll workers – in March the county employed only 16 – was one of many conditions in a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit.
Federal investigators observed San Benito’s operations March 2 and determined the county violated several minority voting rights laws. The county agreed to a laundry list of directives for the upcoming election such as adding the two positions, offering ballots in English and Spanish and posting signs at the polls in Spanish.
The board on Tuesday delayed approval of hiring two new Elections Office positions that were also up for consideration. Supervisors debated over the job requirements’ wording, and whether the county could instead contract the services for the November election and then hire full-time workers afterward. The two new positions are a bilingual election coordinator and an additional deputy clerk.
That delay left head elections official John Hodges – who has been the focus of criticism over the voting rights violations – upset and claiming supervisors are prolonging an urgent matter, he said. And the one supervisor who voted against a motion to postpone the hires, Reb Monaco, also said he was concerned about a time crunch.
But Chairman Bob Cruz, a member of the local League of United Latin American Citizens chapter that spurred a federal investigation of the March election, argued the proposed job requirements didn’t meet the federal government’s conditions.
And Supervisor Pat Loe asked the county’s top lawyer to check with the DOJ over the legality of hiring the two new positions. She also requested the county counsel check the feasibility of hiring private contractors for elections work.
During the discussion, Hodges and Monaco both asked Loe on separate occasions to clarify her request to examine contracting the work. Hodges also asked if she meant finding a contractor to run the entire election, which has been his job for two decades.
“I just want to know what’s available,” Loe said.
Hodges said he doesn’t believe any company does such contracting work. And confusion caused by Loe’s open-ended request was another reason Monaco voted against her motion, the supervisor said.
After the meeting, Hodges said Loe’s comments were frustrating.
“They want to manage the operation to their own likings,” said Hodges, also an elected official. “And what it really amounts to is they’re trying to prolong this request for another two more weeks and I’m already into the election by a month already.”
But all four supervisors at the meeting said the issue is a high priority for the county. Cruz disagreed with the job descriptions proposed by the human resources director because the $45,600 worth of salary and benefits wasn’t high enough to attract qualified candidates.
“To me, it doesn’t compute,” Cruz said.
Cruz also pointed out that the county must follow a federal requirement to hire a bilingual coordinator with at least two years experience on election matters.
He and Loe disagreed with Hodges’ desire to look within the county to fill the role. Hodges said he had two people in mind, but Cruz insisted nobody could meet the qualifications.
“I’m looking for somebody to get us out of hot water, is what I’m trying to do,” Cruz said.
Kollin Kosmicki can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 331 or at
