Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Benton County offices shifting space
BENTONVILLE — Benton County’s Election Commission began moving into new offices in Rogers on Tuesday, a move prompted by new, larger electronic voting machines.
“I think everything is going fine,” election commissioner John Brown Jr. said of the move.
The election commission needed additional space to house the 475 voting machines, bought by the county at a cost of about $2.4 million. The county also bought 65 ballot counters and 119 printers.
“The only things I don’t have are all of the kiosks to hold the voting machines,” said Kim Dennison, election coordinator. “I have all the others. I expect delivery of the rest of the kiosks in March. In the meantime, I have plenty of equipment for the small elections we have prior to the May primary, and by then, they’ll all be delivered.”
Arkansas’ preferential primary and nonpartisan judicial elections are May 22.
The county is leasing about 20,000 square feet in the building at 2115 W. Walnut St., with a right of first refusal on an adjoining 17,000 square feet. Benton County property records show the entire building has 114,656 square feet. Some of the former Kmart building is already leased. The Samaritan Shop moved into 24,000 square feet in April.
The county plans to move the Election Commission and some County Clerk and Assessor offices to the new space in Rogers.
Circuit Judge Doug Schrantz’ courtroom and offices will be moved to a county building in Bentonville at 221 S. Main St., and some other county offices will be moved to new space. The county also plans to sell the building at 905 N.W. Eighth St. in Bentonville, now housing the planning and environmental offices. Those offices will be moved into some of the space vacated by the Election Commission in the county building at 1204 S.W. 14th St. in Bentonville.
Assessor Roderick Grieve said he thinks his employees will be moving sometime around the end of January or the beginning of February. Grieve said the move has to wait until the cabling needed for his computers is in place.
“The last I was told was by Feb. 8,” Grieve said. “We’ll be moving our staff in as soon as the space is ready.”
The County Clerk’s Office will delay moving its employees until after the end of the filing period for the May 22 primary. Dana Caler, election administrator, said the filing period for the primary runs from Feb. 22 through March 1.