Wico. Co. officials go back and forth on storing county’s voting machines
Wicomico County officials and the Wicomico County library board of trustees have been going back and forth the past few months over one issue…storage space to house the county’s voting machines. The space in question is the area in the lower level of the Wicomico County Public library known as the Entrepreneurial Center. Wicomico County officials tell us they want to store the county’s voting machines down there.
Richard Keenan, the Chair for Board of Trustees for the Wicomico Public Libraries says, “he told us that he needed that particular space for the board of elections.”
According to letters sent between the county and the Board of Trustees the county had originally requested 10,000 square feet to to relocate the county’s board of elections to the lower level of Wicomico County library. The county then lowered that number to 3,300 square feet which would be used only for storage purposes. Library officials have stated in letters to the county that they could not acomodate the county’s needs.
According to Wicomico County Executive, Bob Culver, after the state switched to paper ballots this year the machines have to be secured in a climate controlled environment by the second week of June. As of right now the machines are reportedly stored at the K-mart in Salisbury. Bob Culver tells 47 ABC that storing the machines in a county-owned library that is rent-free was a decision that made sense to the county. However, Library officials tell 47 ABC they think differently.
Andrea Berstler, the Executive Director for the Wicomico County public libraries says, “It goes against the philosophy of the library to try to keep things closed up, locked up.The spaces in the lower level are public meeting spaces and we want to make them as available to the public.”
Officials with the Board of Trustees for the library and Culver have been exchanging letters. In them the library cites Maryland Code that says the board of trustees has a say with what happens within the library and how they use their rooms. However, Culver says since the county owns the building and any library use is subject to county approval. Culver has also offered to help the library find other space for use by the Entrepreneurial Center. He says in the meantime those who utilize their services can do so at Salisbury University or meet at other rooms in the library for those purposes.
In their latest letter on Monday, officials with the library say they “will not permit anyone to enter the library with the express intent of dismantle or interfering in any way.” 47 ABC then reached out to Culver who tells us the county will have to act, but gave no plan of what he intends to do. Culver also told 47 ABC they have no interest in continuing to meet with the library board of trustees to discuss this matter. The board of trustees tell us their next public meeting will be June 14th, that’s where they will have an update for the public. The board of trustees also tells us one of their committees has begun a letter writing campaign to allow the public to express their concerns to the County Executive and council.
