Cerro Gordo's Home-Grown Precinct Atlas Software Gets $200K Payback

[Image courtesy of amestrib]

With all the news about local election offices struggling to find funding for their operations, here’s a story about an Iowa county election office that is managing to EARN money. The Globe Gazette has more:

Cerro Gordo (Mason City) County supervisors received a check for $100,000 Tuesday for its work in developing the Precinct Atlas computer program now used by 55 counties throughout the state.

The program, developed by County Auditor Ken Kline and the county’s MIS Department, simplifies procedures for poll workers on election days by making voter information readily available.

County officials have made the software available for other counties to use through an intergovernmental entity called the Iowa Precinct Atlas Consortium.

Participating counties pay membership fees to the consortium which pays license and maintenance fees to Cerro Gordo County.

On Tuesday, Dennis Parrott, Jasper County auditor and president of the Iowa Precinct Atlas Consortium, expressed thanks to Cerro Gordo County in a big way.

He presented supervisors with a check for $100,000 from the consortium with a pledge of $25,000 for each of the next four years.

The payment, he said, is to the taxpayers of Cerro Gordo County for the time and effort it took county employees to develop the program.

“Precinct Atlas has contributed greatly to efficiency at the polling places and has had a big impact on thousands of voters,” said Parrott.

“In Iowa, we’re on the cutting edge as a result of Cerro Gordo County. This money rightfully belongs to the county’s taxpayers.”

Parrott said he has tried to think of any other project developed by one county and shared with so many other counties. “I can think of none,” he said.

Supervisor Jay Urdahl said, “The hallmark of a successful project is collaboration. That’s what we’ve seen in Precinct Atlas. Through it, we’ve done everything possible to make the voting process as fair and open and efficient as possible for the people.”

Urdahl and Auditor Ken Kline both praised the work of the county’s MIS Department in developing the program.

Supervisor Bob Amosson said the $100,000 will go into the county’s general fund as will the $25,000 payments in years to come.

Kudos to Cerro Gordo for the check – and the product!