City Council approves funding for registrar to hire deputy | #citycouncil

The amendment was approved by a 6-1 vote, with Ward III Councilor Jeff Helgeson voting in opposition, who took issue with language in the resolution and sought to make the temporary position a permanent one instead.

The saga regarding deputy registrars in the city’s general registrar’s office began last week during a special called council meeting, where the body approved a separate amendment in the school division’s budget to fund legal fees as Lynchburg City Schools prepares to petition for unitary status from a 1971 desegregation order to allow for close-to-home rezoning in its facilities master plan.

After approving the amendment, council’s meeting hit a snag as Helgeson and At-large Councilor Martin Misjuns opposed adjourning the meeting, citing the need to hear from General Registrar Daniel Pense about staffing issues in his office ahead of early voting beginning Sept. 22 for this November’s general elections.

After the meeting, Pense told The News & Advance he had no full-time deputy registrars in his office, adding he was concerned about his office’s ability to perform in the upcoming elections without deputies.

Pense claimed the city was “overriding” the decision of the electoral board because they “won’t let me hire a second.” The registrar said he had the clearance to hire one deputy in early September, but wasn’t able to bring in a second.

Deputy City Manager Greg Patrick said in a statement last week the city was working “in good faith with Mr. Pense in helping him transition into his role as the city’s new General Registrar.” He added the two authorized deputy registrar positions already were filled and the city was not overriding any decision by the registrar or electoral board.

On Friday, the announcement came of a special called meeting for the purpose of hearing from Pense, who said last week he was told council would have to look at the issue, but the body’s next regular meeting wasn’t scheduled until Sept. 12.

Pense took his opportunity to present in front of council, where he explained the situation his department is facing and the timely nature of needing two deputies.

He added the electoral board authorized him to hire a third deputy registrar, “mainly for the purpose of solving some of those hiring challenges.”

On the table Tuesday night was a resolution which was the result of a meeting between Pense, Patrick, Mayor Stephanie Reed, Vice Mayor Chris Faraldi, City Manager Wynter Benda, City Attorney Matthew Freedman and Pense’s personal attorney, he said.

The resolution states the city manager may transfer a full-time vacant benefited employment position from a city department to the Office of the General Registrar to help the office have the staffing it needs through the end of December.

It adds the registrar is responsible for “determining and reconciling how to return” a full-time position to the city department it’s moved from by the end of January 2024.

The cost, according to the resolution, is $100,000 from a contingency fund, which will help pay for the position, as well as address other staffing issues and unbudgeted expenses in the office.

Before council eventually approved the resolution, Misjuns, buoyed by the support of Helgeson, attempted to offer a substitute motion striking some of the language in the resolution.

Misjuns claimed it wasn’t fair for him to approve a resolution describing a meeting he wasn’t at; he also wanted to remove the deadline in the resolution to return the position by January 2024, saying that position could be needed to staff early voting in the spring 2024 when Lynchburgers go to the polls to vote in next year’s primary elections.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to have you being concerned about how you’re going to … give that position back when you’re closing out the general election and getting ready to get started on a big presidential primary push,” Misjuns said.

The substitute motion was rejected by a 5-2 vote with only Helgeson and Misjuns in support, and other councilors pointing out Pense had said he was comfortable with only two deputies.

“Our registrar stood here and said he was perfectly OK with the resolution the way it was,” Dolan said in defending her vote, adding she didn’t feel comfortable having no expiration on the full-time employee.

At-large Councilor Larry Taylor bluntly asked Pense if he was comfortable with two staff members, to which Pense said he was, but that he would ask council to reconsider if he feels he needs extra staff during the presidential primary.

Ultimately, council approved the resolution as is — with only Helgeson opposing — authorizing the city manager to transfer a full-time vacant position to the registrar’s office, along with the $100,000 to fund the position.

Council will meet next on Sept. 12 for its work session at 4 p.m., followed by its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m., both in council chambers inside City Hall, 900 Church St. in Lynchburg.