The city of Newport News will foot the $16,710 bill for the recount in the 94th District House of Delegates election.
Democrat Shelly Simonds requested the recount in a race that has gained a national following.
Initially, Simonds, a Newport News School Board member, lost the election on Nov. 7 by 10 votes — .004 percent of total ballots cast — to three-term incumbent Republican Del. David Yancey.
That small of a margin allowed Simonds to ask for a recount on Dec. 19.
And state law says that cities involved in a recount must pay for the recount “if the margin between the two candidates who are parties to the recount is a half of a percent or less.”
The city will pay for the following, according to Vicki Lewis, Newport News Registrar:
$15,400 to lease a high-speed ballot counter called a DS850 and the cost of the on-site vendor.
$991 in compensation for the election officers (there were eight observers and eight recount officials).
$318 for lunch, snacks and sodas.
The high-speed machine was manufactured by Election Systems & Software. It can count about 300 14-inch double-sided ballots a minute and separate them into three categories: counted votes, write-in votes and votes that require more review.
Newport News is facing a tighter budget this year after reporting a $3.8 million shortfall in fiscal year 2017, filled by reserve money.
Budget Director Lisa Cipriano said the recount bill is not big enough to make “much of a difference” in the grand scheme of the budget.
Of course, they didn’t budget specifically for a recount, she said.
“This is quite an unusual event for the city,” Cipriano said.
Mayor Price to hold reelection event Saturday
An official event to announce Mayor McKinley Price’s reelection campaign will be rescheduled from this Saturday.
The event was originally scheduled for Jan. 7 at the City Center Fountain. Because of the cold weather and snow, they pushed it back to 3 p.m. Jan. 21 at the same place, said Rob Coleman, Price’s campaign manager. Coleman, a former Newport News vice mayor, is with the Newport News Sheriff’s office and is a Peninsula Airport Commissioner.
Coleman said Price will make the announcement and talk about some of his future plans for the city.
“I want to continue fighting for your future,” Price said in a video announcing the event.
