Costs of special elections for school board seat could top $50,000

Published 9:15 am Thursday, June 21, 2018

DALTON, Ga. — Rodney Lock’s decision to step down from the Whitfield County Board of Education could potentially cost county taxpayers more than $50,000, according to projections from the Board of Elections.

Lock resigned last month, citing the impact being on the board was having on his family business. Lock was first elected to the District 2 seat in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. He was the sole Republican to qualify for the seat in March. No Democrat qualified. With his victory in the May GOP primary, Lock looked set for a third term.

Registrar Mary Hammontree said the Secretary of State’s office has advised that the county will have to have another GOP primary in November. Even though that primary will take place on the same day as statewide elections. Hammontree said it will have to be on a separate ballot and will require separate machines and poll workers. She estimates that will add $10,000 to $12,000 to the cost of the election. 

“That will be split between our office and the school system,” she said. “Some of my managers will be able to handle both elections. But some of the bigger polling places will require two managers.”

Hammontree said she has been advised that if only one candidate qualifies for the primary, the county will not have to have a primary election.

“But we will still have to have a general election for that seat, even though no Democrat qualified,” she said.

That election will take place March 19, 2019, and she says it will cost $17,000 to $20,000. Members of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners have been talking about having a special called election on that date for a new Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).

“If they do that, the cost will be split between the county and the school system,” Hammontree said. “If they don’t the school system will pay all the cost.”

And if the primary requires a runoff, that will be held Dec. 4. Hammontree said that would also cost between $17,000 and $20,000 and the school system would pay the cost.

Qualifying for the primary will take place at the elections office in the county courthouse Aug. 1-2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Aug. 3 from 9 a.m. to noon. The qualifying fee is $18.