Oakwood to allow Hall County to run its November election

OAKWOOD - The Oakwood City Council decided Monday night to allow the Hall County Board of Elections to conduct Oakwood's city-wide election on November 5th; however, approval did not come unanimously.

"We've been approached by Charlotte (Sosebee, Director of Elections) with the Board of Elections," Oakwood City Manager Stan Brown told the Council. "They've been, for a number of years, conducting the elections for Gainesville and it's worked out to be a pretty good model."

"They made a proposal to us, and it looks like, costwise, it would be essentially what we're paying now, but it would take a lot of things that we currently do every two years off of our agenda and, basically, use someone that does this full time," Brown added.

Included, Brown explained, would be set up of election machinery, voter registration, providing early voting opportunity, recruiting and training poll workers, creating and providing ballots and tabulating the election results.

Oakwood would still conduct candidate qualifying and file all pertinent financial statements. Hall County would oversee all other aspects of the election.

"This would keep us from having to have somebody go to school to be certified every time," Mayor Lamar Scroggs said.

But not all council members were excited about the change over. "I have a problem with it. We have held our elections here, ourselves, when there was only a mayor...and one person to do maintenance...I don't see why we can't do it here," Councilman Ron McFarland said.

McFarland said after the meeting, "I just feel they (the elections) should stay here. I don't think they shouldn't be farmed out."

McFarland has personal interest in the November vote and how it is conducted as he and fellow Councilman Sam Evans, as well as Mayor Scroggs, will be seeking re-election.

"It's only for this one election," Brown reiterated. "This isn't a long-term...you're only commiting for one election."

McFarland made a motion for the resolution to be disapproved. His motion died for a lack of a second.

A motion was then made to approve the resolution; it was seconded and passed four to one, with McFarland providing the lone "no" vote.

"The only real difference is if you voted early: you would go up there (Hall County Government Center), otherwise the rest of it is all done down here," Mayor Scroggs said.