Jefferson County seeks payment for Watertown council primary costs

Jul. 23—WATERTOWN — Jefferson County election officials are trying to get the city to pay an $8,500 bill for costs associated with the June 22 nonpartisan City Council primary.

In the July 12 letter to City Manager Kenneth A. Mix, election commissioners Jude R. Seymour and Michelle R. LaFave wrote that their office incurred the $8,551.68 in costs to administer the primary for the nonpartisan primary in which 10 candidates ran for three City Council seats.

In the letter, the Republican and Democratic election commissioners reminded Mr. Mix that the city is responsible for reimbursing the county for the expenses for the primary, according to the city's law pertaining to its nonpartisan elections.

Noting it's the city's "own law," Mr. Seymour said the bill is "administering the law as it is written and how we interpret it."

The election commissioners also included an invoice notifying the city it owes the county for equipment at polling places, facsimile ballots, tally sheets and return blanks in administering the primary.

Mr. Seymour hasn't heard back from the city about the bill and doesn't expect to get a response. He also doesn't know whether the county will do anything to pursue getting the city to pay it.

In the letter, Mr. Seymour reminded the city it still owes the county $33,219.39 for primaries held in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

In their letter, the two election commissioners asked the city to remit a payment to the county treasurer in a total amount of $41,771.07 for the costs of the five primaries.

Under state law, the election commission office pays the expenses for administering primaries for town and villages but expects the city to reimburse the county for its services, City Attorney Robert J. Slye said.

The city does not plan to pay the $8,500 or the previous bills.

However, it's not the first time that Mr. Seymour and the county have brought up the costs associated with nonpartisan city primaries. The city and the county have been going back and forth about the issue for several years, including an exchange of letters in 2017 between Mr. Slye and County Attorney David J. Paulsen.

Mr. Slye said it would be "disparate treatment" for the county to charge the city for primary work and not towns and villages.

He also said county officials have suggested making changes to the city's law. The city plans to meet with them in a future work session to talk about the issue.

As for the June primary, candidates Michelle Capone, Benjamin Shoen, Cliff G. Olney III and Councilwoman Lisa A. Ruggiero moved on from the June 22 primary to run in November for a 4-year seat on council. Patrick J. Hickey and Amy Horton and are vying for a second seat for a 2-year term in the general election.

Two years ago, Mr. Seymour also pursued the billing issues following a mayoral primary that ended up in a second-place tie with two candidates. Mayoral candidates Cody J. Horbacz and Allison I. Crossman finished in a tie in the four-way race.

Mr. Seymour disagreed on how many candidates should be on the November ballot after the two candidates finished in a second-place tie in the June 2019 primary. He took the matter to the state Supreme Court, but the court ruled both candidates could run in November.

He then submitted an $8,912.50 bill for his legal arguments.

The city never paid for those legal bills, either.