A $375 item for graphics work on a TV ad to promote voting in the 2023 municipal election drew some discussion from Monroe County commissioners at their first regular meeting of 2024 on Wednesday morning.

It was not the dollar amount that they were concerned about.

Getting the attention of commissioners was the fact that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the vendor, Wood Innovative Group, lacked some elements of a standard county contract. As described by county attorney Jeff Cockerill at the meeting, those elements included “a lot of boilerplate language… [like] insurance and other requirements that we typically would see.”

According to the note on the meeting agenda, “This MOU does not comply with the normal criteria for MOUs approved by the County.”

The item still got a 3–0 vote of approval from commissioners, based on the next part of the note that says, “It does, however, define the scope of work already performed and the price for such work.”

At Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners also conveyed to Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne, who presented the item about the graphics, that in the future they wanted to see a contract for approval before the work is done.

The note on the agenda stated: “It was explained to the vendor and the Clerk that in the future a MOU that corresponds with the County’s criteria will be required prior to the commencement of any future work.”

Wednesday’s item about the election graphics fits a pattern of friction between commissioners and the county clerk, about election-related topics. Continue reading “$375 for graphics work on TV election advertisement gets scrutiny from Monroe County commissioners” →