Mailings: Challenger Criticizes Elections Boss

BROOKSVILLE - The challenger in the race for Hernando County Supervisor of Elections is criticizing the incumbent for spending too much on postage to mail out sample ballots for this year's presidential primary.

Shirley Anderson, a Spring Hill Republican seeking to unseat Democrat Annie Williams, issued a press release late Monday criticizing Williams for using first-class postage to mail some 60,000 sample ballots ahead of the Jan. 29 primary.

Instead, Williams should have gotten a nonprofit postage rate for the mailing, which Anderson said would have saved 14 cents on each piece. The "blunder" cost taxpayers some $8,400 in "wasted postage," Anderson said in the release.

"While other departments are tightening their belts and finding savings, Annie Williams continues to mishandle taxpayer funds," she said. "Unfortunately, this is the kind of incompetence we have come to expect."

Williams said Tuesday that she has been considering applying for a permit through the post office that would allow for the nonprofit rates.

In the past, Williams has asked other organizations that have the permit to mail sample ballots to get the lower rate. In 2006, for example, Williams said she arranged for the City of Brooksville to mail the ballots using its permit.

This time around, the office was dealing with "time factors" and used first class postage - 41 cents at the time - to mail the 67,342 ballots. With the bulk rate, the bill came in at a little more than $21,154, Williams said.

"We had to do what we had to do to get them out," Williams said.

"Yes, it could have been done for a little less, but it's not a waste of money when your voters are being informed and educated."

Williams said she had looked into the issue of securing a nonprofit permit during the 2004 election and was told by U.S. Postal Service representatives that the savings with would have been 2.4 cents per piece compared to the first-class rate.

Williams said that she factored in the cost of staff time to sort the ballots and take them to Tampa to be mailed.

The savings would be actually significantly more than a few cents, a postal service representative with the postal service said Tuesday.

The current nonprofit bulk rate is 16 cents, or 26 cents less than the current first class rate of 42 cents, said Terri Caley, a bulk mail clerk in Tampa.

At a rate of 16 cents per piece, that would have put the bill for the January sample ballot mailing at $10,774.

Williams would have to get permission to leave the mailings at Brooksville branch to be transported to Tampa, which officials likely would give, Caley said.

Williams said she would secure the nonprofit permit if the savings are that significant.

"We're very interested in saving money," she said.

Anderson's dig at Williams came just three days after the end of the qualifying period to get into the race.

Anderson, who is district director for U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, is the sole challenger.

Williams has held the office since 2000 and was unopposed in 2004.