Commissioners Delay Payment on Voting Machines

Reporter: Ben Jackey

The Democrats on the Vanderburgh County Commission are holding up payment of some two million dollars to the company that sold the county all those new voting machines.

And the refusal to pay features another clash between Commissioner Catherine Fanello and County Clerk Marsha Abell.

The state was reimbursed $526,000 last year for the equipment, but state officials say it was an accident since the equipment was never certified. Abell says if the commission doesn't approve the payment soon, the county could lose reimbursement dollars. Fanello says that's not the case.

It's the latest 'she said, she said' between Abell and Fanello. Abell says, "She doesn't know what she s talking about." Fanello counters, "I don't know why she's getting so upset why we're asking questions."

Round one, Democrat commissioners want to know why more than $20,000 in salary was paid to Republicans Pete Swaim and Court Farrell for voter outreach. Deputy clerk Carla Hayden told the commission on Abell's behalf, that election office workers do the same for about eight dollars an hour. At Monday's meeting, Democrat Commissioner David Mosby says, "They can do the same thing for eight dollars an hour. Then we turn around and pay someone else 25 dollars an hour, plus mileage, plus meals and gratuity." Hayden replied,"These were all discussed in meetings at four o'clock on Monday with the request for Catherine Fanello, who never attended a meeting."

Fanello shot back, "Ms. Hayden, we don't have to sit there and babysit you and tell you what to pay people in the county do we?"

Round two, certification. The company that supplied the machines, Electronic Systems and Software, hasn't been certified by the state. Fanello says, "We don t just write blank checks to vendors hoping they'll comply with their agreement." Hayden's reply: "It would have been nice if certification would have been part of the contract."

Commission attorney Kevin Winternheimer says it is part of their contract. The signed agreement with ES&S claims that the agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Indiana. That law says the systems must meet specifications of Indiana code. Fanello's take on that? "I just think the company needs to start acting with integrity." Abell's reply? "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Abell says if the commission doesn't approve money soon, Vanderburgh County will not be eligible for reimbursement of federal dollars by the state. She expects the state to start reimbursing at any time. But the reimbursement must be approved by the state budget committee. Committee member Dennis Avery says they don't meet until August 27th. However Abell says that when the committe originally approved the money, it made a sweeping approval. She says it doesn't have to be re-approved for each reimbursement.