By Tom Flanigan
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-979637.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Leon County Election Supervisor Ion Sancho has finished reorganizing his office in advance of the 2012 election. Tom Flanigan reports that included staff pay hikes, which Sancho says that's been more than offset by other cost-cutting.
Sancho says his staff will have to deal with many election law changes next year. And that's on top of other challenges like reapportionment.
"For example, delays in finalizing districts may mean citizens won't know what districts they're assigned to or what candidates they're eligible to vote for until right before the election."
So Sancho started revamping his department back in December. He's cut his operation from six to five work groups. He's also given his staff raises totaling just under eight thousand dollars. Sancho says that's far outweighed by the money he's saved.
"Voters should see that we're returned over $300,000 of this year's budget back to the county."
At the same time, Sancho says his office will be doing its best to keep voters on top of all the changes they'll face in next year's election.