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County Elections Boss Saves Office $500,000

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By MIKE SALINERO

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Published: January 30, 2009

TAMPA - Hillsborough County's new elections supervisor has shaved $500,000 off the debt former Supervisor Buddy Johnson left behind.

Phyllis Busansky said Thursday she negotiated a reduction in the amount owed a Texas-based company for optical-scan gear that misfired during the election Nov. 4.

Premier Election Solutions agreed Thursday to apply the $500,000 reduction to the county's outstanding $2.4 million tab for voting machines, ballot boxes and other equipment.

Premier also agreed to send more employees to Tampa to help with elections, Busansky said.

"They acknowledged their responsibility in those delays and reiterated it was not going to happen again," Busansky said. "They were really committed to solving the problem and adding support for future elections."

Some county officials wanted to scrap the contract with Premier after the optical-scan system ground to a halt on the night of the election. Memory cards on the machines became overloaded, and data from 512,000 ballots could not be transferred to machines tabulating the totals.

The software meltdown combined with other miscues by Johnson's office to delay final vote tallies for two days.

Johnson left office this month without making the final $1.7 million payment on the $5.37 million voting machine contract. County officials have accused the former supervisor of spending the money on personnel and other costs. Johnson also did not pay Premier $700,000 owed for ballot boxes and additional hardware and software.

Johnson has blamed the deficit on unforeseen costs related to the high turnout for the primary and general election. He said he will be vindicated by an Ernst & Young audit expected to be finished next week.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303.

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