MILTON, Ga. — As members of Milton’s election advisory committee, two private residents recommended to the City Council last December that the city should run its own election. Their presentation, and the report provided afterward, did not paint the full picture.
Mark Amick, one of a number of people subpoenaed in the 2020 Fulton County election probe, and Lisa Cauley, president of the Fulton County Republican Women group, each made their way to the podium Dec. 5 with a presentation that excluded portions of a comprehensive draft report. The original report was created by Deputy City Manager Stacey Inglis prior to the meeting.
Inglis, one of two city staff members on the Milton Municipal Election Feasibility Committee, wrote a lengthier, more detailed conclusion of the group’s findings. It consistently referenced state code, and it explained matters that had been reconciled by the city attorney.
Also noteworthy, Inglis dedicated several pages to the risks associated with the city undertaking its own municipal election, such as its lack of experience, public scrutiny, potential staffing issues, voter disenfranchisement and errors associated with hand-counting paper ballots.
Inglis also estimated a higher price for first-year and future costs associated with city-run local elections. In her report, the first-year cost was estimated at $80,196. The report formally presented to the council by Cauley listed a cost of $72,253.
With one-time costs out of the way, Inglis estimated future municipal elections would cost the city $64,064. Cauley’s presentation set a future cost of $56,588.
In a recent interview, City Manager Steve Krokoff said Inglis’ report is characteristic of all city staff presentations.
“We’re used to presenting information to the [City] Council, and we give them all the information for them to make an informed…
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